Dry spell pushes rice and toor dal price to new highs
Graphics emailedThis has impacted household budgets, while hotels are now weighing their options of increasing their rates
A significant rainfall deficit of 35% between June and September in Karnataka has led to a sharp rise in the prices of rice and toor dal, impacting household budgets and hotel rates. The Sona Masuri variety of rice, once priced at ₹75 per kg, has surged to ₹80, while Basmati has increased from ₹110 to ₹140. Bullet rice saw a price jump from ₹80 to ₹100, and Kolam rice from ₹75 to ₹100.
Rajamudi rice saw the largest increase, going from ₹125 to ₹150. Toor dal prices have also risen by ₹10 to ₹15 per kg. The shortage of water for paddy cultivation due to the government's failure to release water from reservoirs at the right time, along with poor sowing and targeting areas, has resulted in a crop failure. Chamarasa Malipatil, president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, attributes the price hike to the government's lack of action.
While some farmers may benefit from the price hike by selling their stored harvest, the overall market is experiencing a significant increase. Experts predict that more than 50% crop loss is likely in paddy cultivating districts of Karnataka, and good rains are needed to stabilize prices. The situation also affects toor dal cultivation, with quality issues attributed to low moisture and infertile soil.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
