Top News

Inflationary pressures on India’s agricultural and rural workforce showed a marked decline in April 2025, delivering some financial relief to low-income households.

According to data shared by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the year-on-year inflation rate for agricultural labourers (CPI-AL) eased to 3.48 per cent, while the rate for rural labourers (CPI-RL) dropped to 3.53 per cent. This marked a significant improvement compared to April 2024, when the respective rates stood at 7.03 per cent and 6.96 per cent, reported IANS.

The downtrend is not only apparent on an annual basis but also when compared to the previous month. In March 2025, CPI-AL was recorded at 3.73 per cent and CPI-RL at 3.86 per cent, indicating a steady month-on-month decline. The ongoing moderation in inflation has been consistent over the last six months, making life slightly more manageable for economically vulnerable rural communities.

Food Prices Cool, Contributing to Softer Inflation Trends

The recent drop in inflation for farm and rural workers coincides with a broader softening in India’s retail inflation. Headline retail inflation fell to 3.16 per cent in April, down from 3.34 per cent in March. This marks the lowest level since July 2019, largely due to easing food prices. Food inflation, which makes up nearly 50 per cent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), dropped to 1.78 per cent in April, a notable fall from 2.69 per cent a month earlier.

This is the third consecutive month where inflation has remained under the Reserve Bank of India’s 4 per cent medium-term target. The ongoing trend strengthens the case for a continued accommodative monetary policy aimed at bolstering economic growth.

Positive Food Inflation Outlook Supports Monetary Easing

The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee recently revised its inflation forecast for FY 2025-26, lowering it from 4.2 per cent to 4 per cent. This shift reflects improving supply-side dynamics, especially in the food sector. “The outlook for food inflation has turned decisively positive,” RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated during the monetary policy review meeting recently.

Malhotra noted that uncertainties surrounding the rabi harvest have significantly reduced. The second advance estimates point to record wheat output and increased pulse production compared to the previous year. Together with strong kharif arrivals, these developments are expected to support a sustained moderation in food inflation in the months ahead.