Hyderabad grocery prices have risen sharply in recent weeks, with rice, pulses, sugar and cooking oil putting pressure on household budgets and prompting families to reduce purchases, switch to cheaper varieties and add alternative grains to their diets.
Rice prices have increased from about ₹45 a kg to nearly ₹80 in some varieties, while chana, which sold for ₹55 a kg in August, is now priced at ₹76-77, traders said. Retail rice prices in Telangana rose 13.3% between July and September, according to data from the Union consumer affairs ministry.
The increase is affecting families that spend about ₹10,000-12,000 a month on groceries. A family of four typically allocates ₹2,500-3,000 to rice and cereals, ₹1,500-2,000 to pulses and ₹700-900 to sugar and other staples, leaving the remainder for vegetables, dairy products and other provisions.
“Rice remains a staple for our family, but we have started looking at cheaper varieties. We have also started buying wheat and other grains,” said Archana D, a homemaker from Gowlipura. Another resident, Gyanchand Soliwala of Nampally, said households were buying only what was necessary as markets raised prices amid uncertainty over future supplies.
Open-market trader Mahender Vyas said prices had risen across rice varieties. Sona Masoori, which sold for around ₹45 a kg at the end of August, is now priced at about ₹70, while HMT JSR has increased from approximately ₹65 to ₹95. Traders warned that prices could rise by another 10-20% if rainfall remains inadequate over the next 10-15 days.
Sugar prices have also moved higher. Retail prices reached ₹53-55 a kg on October 12, compared with ₹46-48 in September, after touching ₹72 in August. Trader Sanjay Joshi attributed the latest increase to festive demand ahead of Dasara and Diwali, as well as uncertainty over new production.
Although government reports indicate that sugar stocks are adequate, Joshi said mills were reluctant to sell aggressively because they expected prices to rise further. Sugar mills have reportedly been directed to begin cane crushing from October 15, but traders expect operations could be delayed by inadequate soil moisture linked to El Niño conditions. They said this could affect harvesting, cane quality and sugar recovery, while some farmers were holding back supplies in anticipation of higher prices.
Authorities have tightened stock controls in response to the price movement. The wholesale stock limit has been reduced from 2,000 quintals to 1,000 quintals, and weekly stock disclosures and physical inspections of mills have been mandated. Traders and shopkeepers said the measures could help curb excessive hoarding and black marketing.
Joshi expects sugar prices to stabilise between ₹48 and ₹55 a kg. Kirana store owner Manoj Kumar of Panjagutta said foodgrain consumption was likely to rise during the festive season, even as farmers harvested paddy, maize, soybean and sugarcane. The next key price signals will come from cane-crushing operations and rainfall conditions over the coming weeks.
