Cereal Inflation at 5.35% in April; Softer Rice Prices Bring Relief

14-May-2025 10:22 AM

Cereal Inflation at 5.35% in April; Softer Rice Prices Bring Relief
★ Cereal inflation stood at 5.35% in April, with a significant easing in rice prices providing relief.
★ Wheat inflation was 7.61% in April, down from 9% in March, indicating some softening in wheat prices, though levels remain high.
★ Mustard oil saw annual inflation of 19.6% in April, while refined oil inflation was even higher at 23.75%, mainly due to a surge in global prices. India imports about 58% of its edible oil needs, making it highly sensitive to international market trends.
★ Pulse inflation continued to decline for the third consecutive month in April, coming in at -5.23%, due to the expectation of robust output from both the kharif and rabi harvests. This is a sharp contrast to August 2024, when pulse inflation had peaked at 113%.
★ Chana (gram split variety) inflation was 7.6% in April, down from 10.4% in March.
★ Tur (arhar) reported deflation of -9.84% in April, primarily due to a high base effect and a record harvest after two years.
★ Spices inflation has been on a decline since September 2024. In April, spices inflation was at -3.4%, with cumin (jeera) prices down sharply by 20.79% year-on-year.