Amravati: As Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles, the impact of the same could be seen on prices of consumer goods in the state. Ukraine and Russia supply more than 90 percent of sunflower to India and due to the war supplies have been held up leading to an unprecedented increase in the prices of cooking oils. With the prices of edible oils shooting up, the restaurant owners and small-time vendors have no choice but to raise the prices in their menu.

Tiffin centres have increased the prices of items like dosha, puri, vada etc by Rs 5 to Rs 10. The owner of Sai Priyanka Hotel in Vijayawada said that before the start of war, the price for a litre sunflower oil was Rs 135 and now it has gone up to Rs 180. He explained that the price of one plate of Mysore Bajji and Gaarela priced at Rs 40 earlier, has now been increased to Rs 50.

Other goods become costlier too

The prices of other items like cooking gas and dried chillies are also rising. The price of a 19-kg commercial cylinder was Rs 1,750 in February and its price has now risen to Rs 1,980. Likewise, some two weeks ago, the price of dried chillies was less than Rs 200 per kg and now it costs Rs 260 per kg. With the hike in petrol and diesel prices, the price of live chicken, which was between Rs 92-112 per kg in February, has now gone up to Rs 149 per kg leading to price rise of food products made with chicken.

Balakrishnareddy, President of AP Hotels Association said, the inflation has further burdened the pandemic-hit hotel industry with the losses. He said if the prices of cooking gas and oil continue to rise then the industry will have to option other than rising the food items prices by 10 to 15 percent.