Onions, sugar, rice: Why India’s food staples have gotten costly

What happened: India saw sharp food staple price increases in September, with onion up 93% year on year, sugar up 28% and rice up about 8%, per ISignal's Food Price Watch dashboard using Department of Consumer Affairs data. Key numbers: Onion Rs 52.8 per kg in September, highest monthly average since November 2024, versus Rs 27.4 a year earlier. Why it matters: Experts link the spike to low past prices pushing farmers away from onion, lower stored stocks, and extreme climate events raising agricultural risk. The government revised sugar stock-holding norms to curb hoarding and speculation.

India saw sharp food staple price increases in September, with onion up 93% year on year, sugar up 28% and rice up about 8%, per ISignal's Food Price Watch dashboard using Department of Consumer Affairs data.

Experts link the spike to low past prices pushing farmers away from onion, lower stored stocks, and extreme climate events raising agricultural risk. The government revised sugar stock-holding norms to curb hoarding and speculation.