Non-vegetarian food became more expensive across India in June as the prices of eggs, meat and seafood recorded a sharp rise, adding to the burden on household budgets.
According to a Moneycontrol analysis of inflation data, the prices of meat, fish and eggs increased 1.35% month-on-month in June. This was the steepest monthly increase in the category in the last five months, following a 3% jump recorded in January.
The rise comes at a time when overall retail inflation remains close to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 4% target. However, protein-rich food items continue to become costlier at a much faster pace than overall inflation.
Food Inflation Continued To Rise In June
Overall food inflation moved higher in June, reflecting rising prices across several essential food categories.
Year-on-year food inflation increased to 5.22% in June, compared with 4.66% in May.
Meanwhile, inflation in the meat, fish and eggs category also rose. It climbed to 8.79% in June from 8.48% in the previous month.
As a result, families that regularly consume non-vegetarian food are likely to see a noticeable increase in their monthly grocery expenses.
Egg Prices Registered The Biggest Monthly Jump
Among all major protein-rich foods, eggs recorded the sharpest increase during June.
Egg prices rose 3.71% over the previous month after increasing 2.6% in May.
The continued rise suggests that egg prices have remained under pressure for two consecutive months. Since eggs are a daily source of protein for many households, the increase is expected to have a direct impact on food budgets.
Meat And Seafood Also Became Costlier
Several meat and seafood categories also witnessed strong price growth during the month.
Prices of beef and buffalo meat increased 3.41% compared with May.
Similarly, fish and prawn prices climbed 2.9%, marking their biggest monthly rise in nearly one-and-a-half years.
These increases indicate that the price pressure is spread across multiple non-vegetarian food categories instead of being limited to a single product.
Beef And Chicken Saw The Highest Annual Inflation
On a yearly basis, beef and buffalo meat remained the fastest-rising category.
Their prices were 12.3% higher than a year ago, up from 9.79% annual inflation recorded in May.
Meanwhile, chicken prices increased 10.83% compared with the same period last year.
Fish and prawns also became significantly more expensive, with annual inflation reaching 7.7%.
These figures show that consumers are paying considerably more for several commonly consumed protein sources than they were a year ago.
Goat Meat And Eggs Also Recorded Higher Inflation
The price of goat meat and mutton continued to move upward during June.
Annual inflation in this category accelerated to 7.25%.
At the same time, egg inflation edged higher to 6.45%, reflecting the continued increase in prices despite already elevated levels.
Consequently, many households may have to spend more to maintain their regular protein intake.
Pork Was The Only Exception
Unlike other non-vegetarian food items, pork prices declined during the month.
Prices fell 0.62% in June, making pork the only major category to register a monthly decline.
On an annual basis, pork inflation also eased to 1.21%, making it the only category that avoided the broad rise in non-vegetarian food prices.
While most meat, seafood and egg products continued to become more expensive, pork remained the lone exception to the overall trend.