Prices falling? True, in wholesale; false in retail

Prices falling? True, in wholesale; false in retail
For almost an year, the unprecedented hike in prices of food items especially the most essential cereals, had badly upset monthly budgets in most households. Now it is time for some cheer as according to wholesale market sources from last Saturday the rates have started falling down.
APMC grain market director Jayesh Bora informs, "From April 2009, the rates of cereals had started climbing high but now they have started coming down. This year there is a good production of new crops of oil seeds and fortunately from the second week of January 2010 we are able to receive more and more stocks of Tur, Moong, Udad, Mysore, Chana dal etc from all over Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
One of the biggest stocks arrived on January 28 when over one lakh sacks came in from Latur. If the quantity of incoming stocks rises in similar manner, rates will fall down further within a couple of weeks. As an alternative to Tur dal traders have started bringing in Vattana (Mutter dal). Being sold for Rs 40 per kg, the dal is finding many takers. The government is likely to categorise Vattana as a dal. If this happens, the rate will go down further to Rs 25".
However, women of the house who have been keeping a tight budget to run the house are yet to smile over the news of price fall. The benefit of the same is not being passed on to them by retailers, they complain.
Vedha Deshpande resident of Sector 17 Koper Khairane expresses surprise over the news of price fall. "We are hardly aware of any fall of the rates of cereals. Shopkeepers as well as retail chains have not reduced the rates and we are still bearing the brunt of inflation". Kanchan Sharma, resident of Sector-3 Koper Khairane says, "Rates are said to be falling in the wholesale market but that is not the case in retail market. We hope that once stocks from wholesale market reach retail outlets, we will be able to gain the benefit". Sonal Thakur, resident of Sector 2, Koper Khairane says, "We just hope that prices of other daily eatables also fall. It is becoming really tough to balance household expenses. The rates are so high that one can't even think of calling in close friends for a small get-together".
BB Kadam of Sandeep General Store, Sector-15 says "The market is in a very bad condition as the rates of most important food materials like sugar, rice, wheat etc are still touching the sky".

From April 2009, the rates of cereals had started climbing high but now they have started coming down. This year there is a good production of new crops of oil seeds," says Jayesh Bora.

—Jaspal Singh Naol