Retail Inflation For Farm, Rural Workers Eases In August, Food Inflation Sees Marginal Rise

The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Thursday said that the major contribution towards the rise in the general index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from the food group. 

Food inflation for farm workers and rural labourers stood at 8.89 per cent and 8.64 per cent in August, compared to 8.88 per cent and 8.63 per cent in July 2023

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Retail inflation for farm workers and rural labourers saw a slight decline in August, easing to 7.37 per cent and 7.12 per cent, respectively, compared to July. The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Thursday said that the major contribution towards the rise in the general index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from food group. 

"Point-to-point rate of inflation based on CPI-AL (consumer price index-agricultural labourers) and CPI-RL (rural labourers) stood at 7.37 per cent and 7.12 per cent in August 2023 as compared to 7.43 per cent and 7.26 per cent respectively in July 2023," the labour ministry statement said. In the same month in 2022, the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Laborers (CPI-AL) stood at 6.94 per cent, while the Consumer Price Index for Rural Laborers (CPI-RL) was at 7.26 per cent.

Food inflation for farm workers and rural labourers stood at 8.89 per cent and 8.64 per cent in August, compared to 8.88 per cent and 8.63 per cent in July 2023 and 6.16 per cent and 6.21 per cent reported in the year-ago month. The all-India CPI-AL and CPI-RL in August 2023 increased by 9 points and 8 points, respectively at 1,224 points and 1,234 points. CPI-AL and CPI-RL were 1,215 points and 1,226 points, respectively in the previous month.

"The major contribution towards the rise all-India index came from food group to the extent of 8.38 points and 7.69 points, respectively mainly due to increase in prices of rice, wheat atta, pulses, milk, meat-goat, sugar, gur, chillies-dry, turmeric, garlic, onion, mixed spices, etc," the ministry said. 

The labour ministry also noted the rise in the index for different States. In the case of Agricultural Labourers, it recorded an increase of 2 to 19 points in 20 States. Tamilnadu topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh stood at the bottom.

In the case of Rural Labourers, it recorded an increase of 2 to 18 points in 20 states. Andhra Pradesh topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh stood at the bottom.

Amongst states, the maximum increase in the CPI numbers for Agricultural Labourers was experienced by Meghalaya (19 points) and for Rural Labourers by Gujarat and Meghalaya (18 points each) mainly due to a rise in the prices of rice, pulses, beef, groundnut oil, onion, chillies green/dry, firewood, bus fare, etc.