Centre report warns El Nino may raise Indian food prices
Food prices are climbing in India, with staples like rice and tur dal getting more expensive as El Nino worries grow.
Rice has jumped 8.5% since last year, now at ₹4,185 per quintal, and tur dal is over ₹125 per kilogram.
The Centre's August 2026 Monthly Economic Report flagged El Nino as a factor to watch, saying persistent conditions could raise the risk of a weaker or uneven monsoon and put pressure on crop yields and food prices.
India cuts edible oil import duties
El Nino messes with monsoon rains, which can mean weaker harvests and even steeper food prices.
To help out, the government just cut import duties on crude soybean, crude palm, and crude sunflower oils to 5% and zero, and refined soybean and palm oils to 27.5%, and refined sunflower oil to 22.5% to try to lower prices at the store and support local refining.
They're also keeping tabs on stocks to prevent shortages if the weather gets rough.