NEW DELHI: Despite a good monsoon and a better outlook for kharif and rabi crops, prices of food grains, edible oil and vegetables have seen steep hikes in the past two months, according to government and market data.India’s retail inflation rose to a nine-month high in September due to higher food prices, government data shows. Annual retail inflation, based on the all-India Consumer Price Index, rose to 5.49% in September, higher than 3.65% in August. Food inflation rose 9.24% annually compared to a 5.66% rise in August, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This is highest after June 2024 (9.36%) and December 2023 (9.53%).A survey by social media platform LocalCircles showed that one out of every two households is coping with high edible oil prices, driving families to lower their consumption and shift to cheaper oil brands.The inflationary pressure coincides with the festive season, upsetting family budgets. Right after the festive season, India goes into the wedding season, which will strain family budgets due to higher prices of edible oil and food grains.The government has, however, been trying to douse the inflation fire. It has launched a series of products under the Bharat brand — Bharat aata, rice and dal — for direct sale to consumers at cheaper rates. Besides, it has been supplying cheaper vegetables, such as onion and tomato, to over a 100 centres across the country to bring the prices down.
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