News Brief
Relief For Consumers As Prices Of Vegetables And Staples Fall By Up To 40 Per Cent In January
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In a relief for consumers, prices of key vegetables and staples, including tomato, potato, onion, rice, and pulses, have fallen by up to 40 per cent in the first fortnight of 2025 compared to December.
The drop is attributed to fresh produce arrivals, an improved Kharif harvest, and increased imports in the case of pulses, as per agriculture trade associations.
Tomato prices have decreased by 40 per cent, potato by 16 per cent, onion by 33 per cent, and rice by 10-15 per cent.
Tomato arrivals have increased significantly from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, helping cool prices.
Prices will remain stable, said Ashok Kaushik, a member of the Delhi-based Azadpur Market Tomato Association.
Retail tomato prices have dropped from Rs 50 per kg in December to Rs 30-35 per kg.
The decline in vegetable prices is expected to alleviate household budget pressures, following nearly two years of high food inflation. Government data for December showed retail inflation fell to a four-month low of 5.22 per cent, driven by easing food prices.
Gaurav Gupta, Vice President of the Delhi Grain Merchants’ Association said that prices of pulses will remain under pressure till there are some policy decisions to arrest the fall.
Rice prices have fallen by 10-15 per cent due to strong Kharif output.
“Rice which was sold at Rs 53-54 per kg is now selling at Rs 46-47 per kg in the last fortnight. Exports too are strong. However, surprisingly, prices of minikit rice in West Bengal remain firm and are going up even though the production is good,” said Suraj Agarwal, CEO of RiceVilla.
Onion prices have halved over the past 45 days, dropping 33 per cent in the last month, aided by increased availability of late Kharif onions.
Farmers in Maharashtra’s onion-growing districts have protested, demanding the removal of export duty on onions.
The government has allowed duty-free imports of yellow peas, chana, tur, and urad to further stabilise pulse prices. Domestic harvests of toor and chana are also underway, increasing availability.
