Onion and ginger surge sharply, squeezing household budgets during festivals
India
Feeling the pinch at the veggie stall?
You're not alone: onion prices have shot up by nearly 50%, and ginger is over 70% costlier than last year.
With festival season here (and food being a big part of it), this spike is hitting household budgets hard.
The main culprits: unusually weak monsoon rains due to El Nino, and government policies pushing more crops like rice and sugarcane into ethanol production instead of food.
Unseasonal Maharashtra rains damage onions
It's not just the weather or policy changes: rising transport costs and earlier unseasonal rains in Maharashtra damaged key onion crops too.
All these factors are piling up, making your thali more expensive right when everyone wants to celebrate with good food.