Consumer price inflation rate for agricultural and rural labourites based on the all-India Consumer Pice Index (CPI-AL) and (CPI-RL) decreased to 2.17 per cent and 2.35 per cent in January 2021 from 3.25 per cent and 3.34 per cent, respectively, in December 2020.
Inflation based on food index of CPI-AL and CPI-RL stood at 1.02 per cent and 1.22 per cent, respectively, in January 2021.
The fall/rise in index varied from state to state. In case of agricultural labourers, it recorded a decrease of 1 to 20 points in 18 states and an increase of 15 points in Kerala, whereas te index of Madhya Pradesh remained stationary. Tamil Nadu with 1,250 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 819 points stood at the bottom.
In case of rural labourers, it recorded a decrease of 2 to 20 points in 17 states and an increase of 2 to 15 points in 2 states whereas the index of Madhya Pradesh remained stationary. Tamil Nadu with 1,234 points topped the index table whereas Bihar with 850 points stood at the bottom.
Bihar and West Bengal reported the maximum decrease (-20 points each) in the consumer price index numbers for agricultural and rural labourers, mainly due to fall in the prices of onion, chillies green, vegetables and fruits and gur etc. On the contrary, the maximum increase in the consumer price index numbers for agricultural and rural labourers was experienced by Kerala (+15 points each) mainly due to rise in the prices of rice, fish fresh and vegetables, fruits etc.