According to Geojit, The area under rabi crops in Telangana stood at 4.22 mln acres as of Wednesday, 8% lower than 4.60 mln acres a year ago, according to data from the state government.
Inclement weather has increased inflation of not only the daily kitchen essentials, but also of gourmet superfoods consumed by the rich and the health conscious. Drought in Europe, and back home in Bihar, has increased the prices of olive oil and makhana (fox nut) by more than 80% in a year, with further rise expected in the coming days.
India imports 25 lakh tonnes of sunflower oil annually, of which 70 per cent comes from Ukraine, 20 per cent from Russia and 10 per cent from Argentina.