Per capita fruit and vegetable availability in India increased by 7kg, 12kg in last decade: report

New Delhi [India]December 14 (ANI): Per capita availability of fruits and vegetables has increased by 7 kg and 12 kg respectively in the past decade, according to a State Bank of India (SBI) report.

However, it highlights some of the challenges in agricultural supply chains that continue to impact food consumption across the country.

Notably, states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed an increase in fruit and vegetable production. However, per capita production has declined in many Northeastern states.

India produces about 227 kg of fruits and vegetables per person per year, exceeding the general recommendation of 146 kg per person per year. Consumption,

Despite this, a large proportion (30-35%) of fruits and vegetables perish due to their perishable nature and inefficiencies in harvesting, storage, transportation and packaging. This loss affects the overall consumption of these products.

The report also highlighted the negative impact of extreme weather conditions such as hot summers and cold waves on agricultural production in recent years.

According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), wheat yields will decrease by 3-4% for every 1°C increase in temperature during the grain-filling period (above 30°C).

India’s retail inflation rate fell to 5.48% in November 2024, down from a six-year high of over 6% last month.

A major factor contributing to this decline was the sharp fall in vegetable prices, which dropped from 42.2% in October to 29.3% in November. However, protein inflation rose in November, leading to an overall rise in core inflation.

The report shows that inflation, mainly driven by food prices, is expected to average 4.8% throughout the fiscal year 2025, with an upward trend. Although fuel prices have eased, food prices remain the main driver of inflation.

Interestingly, the report shows that inflation levels in Indian states are moving towards the 4% target level.

Food inflation has fallen faster in middle- and high-income countries than in low-income countries over the past decade.

This trend is attributed to the migration of labor from low-income countries to high-income countries in search of employment opportunities, leading to a faster deflationary process in the latter.

The report also shows that increases in off-farm labor wages have had only a minimal impact on food inflation. The average daily wage rate of non-agricultural labor has little correlation with rural inflation, indicating that the contribution of wage growth to food price increases is not significant. (Arnie)