Fuel crisis triggers food price hike in Coimbatore

With shortage of LPG commercial cylinders and spiralling cost of packaging materials, prices of several food items are set to increase in Coimbatore and impact the common man.

Sources in the food sector, who did not want to be identified, told The Hindu on Tuesday that LPG commercial cylinders are sold at above ₹7,000 a cylinder and cost of packaging materials are up 15 % – 30 %. All products related to petroleum are on the rise and it is expected to take a week to know how much further the prices will increase. The cost of packaging is high for sweets and savouries compared with regular food items. A sweet box costs ₹4 more now. The price of milk has increased by at least ₹5 a litre and the cost of ghee has gone up by ₹100 a kg. These factors are hitting the hotels, restaurants, and sweet retailers, they said.