Info Change India

What individuals spend on a monthly food basket

By Rahul Goswami

Though the amounts spent on cereals are largely the same, there are clear differences between the spending of rural and urban consumers on milk and milk products, sugar and oil. Urban consumers spend 104% more than rural consumers on beverages, refreshments and processed foods

The nutritional intake of an individual and of a household can be gauged from the data provided through a reading of one of the first reports from the 66th Round of the National Sample Survey Office. 'Key Indicators of Household Consumer Expenditure in India 2009-10' has collected and presented the findings of the 66th Round, that is, July 2009-June 2010. The accompanying table is comprehensive for a 'national' average indicator of monthly per capita expenditure on -- and consumption of -- a basket of 142 food items in 11 categories. This 'national' average is provided for rural and urban consumers. The salient inferences drawn from this data are:

• Within the cereals group, for both rural and urban household members alike, rice and wheat dominate consumption. For a rural resident, total rice consumption in a month (both PDS rice and open market rice) is just over 6 kg, while wheat/atta (PDS and open market) is 4.24 kg. For an urban resident, total rice consumption in a month (both PDS rice and open market rice) is just over 4.52 kg, while wheat/atta (PDS and open market) is 4.07 kg. In both categories of consumer, the top five cereal items account for around 92% of the total monthly expenditure on cereals. Total consumption of cereals by the rural resident is 11.34 kg, more than the 9.37 kg for the urban resident. The urban consumer paid, in 2009-2010, Rs 161 for cereals in a month while the rural consumer paid Rs 144 for her monthly cereal quantities.

• In the pulses and pulses products category, arhar/tur is the most common dal. The rural consumer bought 0.16 kg of arhar/tur spending Rs 11.5 a month while the urban consumer bought 0.26 kg of arhar/tur spending Rs 20.1 a month. Moong, masur and urad are the next most commonly used pulses and these three, in combination with arhar/tur, account for 72% and 77% respectively for rural and urban consumers of the total monthly expense on pulses and pulses products. As an average, the urban consumer pays about Rs 14 more (40% more than the rural) for about 0.13 kg more (21% more than the rural) on pulses and pulses products. Cereals are usually a person's staple food in India. But sometimes, by choice or due to scarcity, a person may consume little or no cereal. The food requirement is partially or wholly met in such cases by consumption of food items which could be treated as substitutes for cereals. Tapioca, for example, is consumed in some parts of the country as a substitute for cereals. Similarly, jackfruit seed, mahua, etc, are also consumed as substitutes for cereals.

• It is in milk and milk products that we see the largest difference between the rural and urban consumer. The rural consumer paid Rs 76.1 for 4.1 litres of milk a month, while the urban consumer paid Rs 119.4 for 5.3 litres of milk a month -- Rs 43 more for an additional 1.2 litres. While the rural resident consumed 0.01 kg of ghee (costing Rs 2.8) per month, the urban resident consumed 0.04 kg which cost Rs 11.5, a difference of over Rs 8.7 per month. For both consumer categories, liquid milk and ghee accounted for 98% and 95% (rural and urban) expenditure on milk and milk products. However, the urban consumer spent over Rs 56 more (70% more) than the rural consumer on milk and milk products.

• Sugar is consumed in greater quantity by the urban consumer (0.7 kg) than the rural (0.56 kg), with total monthly expenditure on sugar and sugar-bearing products (including gur and honey) being Rs 22.6 for the rural and Rs 27.1 for the urban consumer.

• The difference in edible oil consumption is considerable between urban and rural. The urban consumer bought 0.4 kg of edible oil costing Rs 25.1 and this expenditure was 47% of the total on edible oils amounting to 0.81 kg. The rural consumer bought 0.28 kg and 0.24 kg of mustard oil and edible oil, altogether spending Rs 38.9 on oils amounting to 0.63 kg. Thus, the urban consumer spent 35% more on oils that were 0.18 kg more by weight.

• On animal protein (mainly eggs, fish and meat) the urban consumer spent Rs 71.9 a month which was Rs 22 more than the Rs 49.8 spent by the rural consumer on these foods. Fish/prawn was the most common source of animal protein with the urban consumer having bought 0.23 kg and the rural consumer having bought 0.26 kg. The urban consumer bought more chicken (0.18 kg) than the rural (0.12 kg), more goat meat (0.09 kg compared with 0.04 kg) and more eggs (eight compared with five).

• The rural consumer bought about 1 kg more of vegetables than the urban consumer (8 kg and 7 kg) in a month, but for both categories the bulk of this weight was potato, onion, tomato, brinjal, cauliflower, palak and lady's finger. For both consumer categories, the top four vegetables by value accounted for 49% and 43% (rural and urban) of the total monthly expenditure on vegetables. However, the urban consumer paid Rs 25 more (28.7% more) than the rural consumer for 12% less vegetables by weight.

• The difference in fresh fruit consumption between urban and rural consumer is conspicuous from total monthly expenditure (weights are difficult to standardise in this food category). Bananas accounted for 28% and 24% of rural and urban monthly spending on the food category. The urban consumer spent Rs 29.9 more per month (147% more) with markedly more being spent on apples and mangoes.

• The 'beverages' food category stands for 'beverages, refreshments and processed food'. It includes tea, coffee, mineral water, soft drinks, fruit juice (not prepared at home), soda water, other beverages such as cocoa, biscuits, cakes, pastries, pickles, sauce, jam, jelly, and other salted refreshments and sweets not prepared at home. Food purchased in the form of cooked meals is also included in 'processed food'. Urban monthly per capita expenditure on this category was Rs 159.3 and Rs 81.4 more (104% more) than rural expenditure (Rs 77.9). The top five items of consumption by value for the urban consumer were cooked meals purchased, cups of tea, tea leaf, other processed food and biscuits. For the rural consumer, the top five items by value were cooked meals received as assistance or payment, tea leaf, cups of tea, biscuits and other processed food. For both rural and urban consumers the spending on the top five items was 71% (rural) and 68% (urban) of total monthly expenditure on this food category.

(Rahul Goswami researches rural economies with a focus on agro-ecology. He is a consultant with the National Agricultural Innovation Project, Ministry of Agriculture, and is an examiner for UNESCO's Culture Sector, on intangible cultural heritage. He writes on issues concerning food and energy)

Infochange News & Features, July 2012