EconomyTuesday, 25 August 2026·Hindu Tamil Thisai
Rising rice, sugar and pulse prices: CPI demands action to protect essential food supply
The CPI has urged the Centre and Tamil Nadu to curb sharp rises in rice, sugar and pulse prices amid festival season demand.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In August 2026, CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian said sugar prices rose from ₹48 per kg last month to as high as ₹70, while rice and pulses also became costlier in Tamil Nadu.
Key specifics
- Sugar price reportedly rose from ₹48 per kg last month to ₹70 per kg.
- Ponni rice was quoted at ₹80 per kg and idli rice at ₹35 per kg.
- Urad dal increased from ₹120 to ₹150 per kg, and Bengal gram from ₹80 to ₹100 per kg.
- The CPI linked the rise to 25 lakh tonnes of sugarcane being diverted for ethanol production.
- The party cited the Centre’s 20% ethanol blending policy in petrol as a key reason for the price pressure.
Exam lens
Economy and price-rise question type: inflation in essential commodities, ethanol blending policy, festival-season demand, Tamil Nadu retail prices — a TNPSC one-liner may ask which commodities saw the sharpest rise and what policy was cited.