Agricultural commodities’ prices rise on logistic and supply disruptions

Retail prices of agricultural commodities have jumped sharply in the past three months because of supply chain disruptions since the lockdown was imposed on March 25 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The data compiled by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution showed retail prices of almost all commodities jumped in the past three months till June-end in both Mumbai and Delhi. Though cereal prices remained a bit resilient — both rice and wheat went up by a mere 3 per cent since March — the cost of pulses and edible oil has skyrocketed because of transport disruptions. In contrast, prices of all these commodities in wholesale markets have either declined or remained flat since March because of ample availability at stockists’ level. The imposition of nationwide lockdown had disrupted inter- and intra-state movement of vehicles. “There is ample supply of all these goods at factories of processed value-added products like pulses and edibles oils, and ...