Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Wednesday. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi, Nov. 4: Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar today said food prices were expected to stabilise after the rabi crop is harvested early next year.

The government expects an additional production of 8.5 million tonnes of foodgrains and 1.5 million tonnes of oilseeds in the rabi season, Pawar said at the conference of economic editors here today. The production will partly compensate for the loss of farm output during the summer season.

“Food price inflation is a matter for concern and the government has taken several steps to arrest it,” said Pawar.

According to government data, wholesale prices of food articles went up about 13 per cent year-on-year for the week ended October 17. Pulses rose sharply by 23 per cent.

The Planning Commission also expects the inflation of food articles to moderate in the coming months, with the arrival of rabi crops. “We are concerned about inflation. With good rabi, food price inflation will come down,” said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.

“Improved soil moisture because of a late monsoon has improved the prospect of rabi crops,” said Pawar.

Cane price

The Centre today said it would ask the mills in Uttar Pradesh to pay more for cane as they were raking in profits from sugar sale. “I am inviting the UP Sugar Mills Association in the next 2-3 days. I will tell them when you are selling sugar for over Rs 3,000 (a quintal), you need to pay more to farmers,” Pawar said.