Bananas up 8%, apples 12%: Fruit prices hit five-year high amid floods and rains; vegetables offer some relief
Fruits continued to push up household grocery bills, with inflation averaging 13.2% during the first nine months of 2025, the highest in five years, even as other food items like vegetables and pulses provided some relief. According to an ET analysis, fruit inflation was 5.9% in 2024 and 3.9% in 2023, highlighting the sharp spike this year. Meanwhile, vegetable prices fell 10.9% on average during January-September 2025, compared with a 24.9% increase in the same period last year. Overall retail inflation eased to 2.7%, down from 4.7% a year ago.
Why fruits remain expensive
Experts point to regional supply shocks, limited warehousing, and cold chain constraints as key reasons for persistent fruit inflation.“Imports cannot easily offset these disruptions, leading to persistent inflation in popular fruits despite overall food price moderation,” Paras Jasrai, associate director, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), told ET. Fruits accounted for around 3.85% of monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) in rural areas and 3.87% in urban areas in 2023-24.
Bananas and apples hardest hit
Banana prices averaged 8.1% inflation during January-September 2025, up from 6.1% last year. Heavy rains and floods in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra damaged crops, impacting supply, according to ET.“This year’s excessive rains have damaged the crop heavily,” BV Patil told ET, president of the Banana Growers’s Association of India. Farmers in Bihar, another major banana-producing state, reportedly shifted to maize cultivation, which fetches higher prices as a raw material for ethanol production.Apple prices saw an average inflation of 12.2%, up from 10% last year, due to floods in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, which disrupted supply.Other fresh fruits, including litchi, pears, singara, and berries, recorded an average inflation of 13.9%, compared with 6.5% in 2024.
