UAE: Why you may notice higher prices of some common grocery items

UAE: Why you may notice higher prices of some common grocery items

Retailers say that the upward trend could continue for the remainder of the year

Published: Sun 21 May 2023, 3:08 PM Last updated: Sun 21 May 2023, 3:10 PM

Grocery prices of certain consumer items such as chillies, black pepper, lentils and sugar are on the rise, and its because of lower-than-expected crop in India.

Retailers say that the upward trend could continue for the remainder of the year.

“Prices of some commonly-consumed spices such as [chillies], cumin, turmeric, seeds, and black pepper are going up because of crop failure in India. In addition, prices of sugar and different types of lentils have risen as well,” said Dr Dhananjay Datar, chairman and managing director, Al Adil Trading, one of the leading importers of spices and other staple food products from India.

“For the remainder of the year, the prices could go higher further due to the shortage of these items. It’s only due to less crop than estimated, as other key aspects such as shipping costs and currency are the same,” he said.

Prices of lentils have gone up in India as well due to shortage in the domestic market, and the world’s fifth largest country is looking to import from other countries in the Asian