Impact of Rainfall on Food Inflation in Coimbatore District

In recent times, the phenomenon of food price inflation has gained significance in the Indian economy, especially in areas where the agricultural sector is mainly dependent on rainfall.Changes in rainfall can affect the agricultural sector, which in turn can affect the prices of food items in the local markets.This paper aims to find the impact of changes in rainfall on food price inflation in the Coimbatore district during the period from 2020 to 2024.The data used in the research are secondary in nature.Data was collected from the India Meteorological Department regarding the rainfall statistics.Data regarding the Consumer Price Index of various food commodities was collected from the Labour Bureau.The paper mainly deals with the major food commodities like vegetables, cereals, pulses, fruits, milk products, etc. Statistical methods like mean analysis, standard deviation, correlation analysis, deviation analysis, and paired t-test were used in the research.The findings reveal that there is a strong negative relationship between rainfall levels and prices of various crop-based commodities like vegetables, cereals, pulses, and fruits.The findings of this study reveal that rainfall levels affect food prices.For instance, low rainfall levels lead to low crop production, resulting in food shortages.Consequently, food prices rise.However, milk products exhibit stable prices compared to rainfall variability.The findings of this study conclude that changes in rainfall levels affect food inflation in the Coimbatore district.