Likely damage to sown crops stokes food inflation worries

The damage to the moong, urad, groundnut and soybean crops could range 10-15%, leading to concerns about a significant increase in prices of these commodities, they said. But the rains could help the paddy crop in Punjab and Haryana. "The excessive rainfall has caused damage to kharif crops such as cotton, pulses and oilseeds in the northern states," said Rahul Chauhan of commodity research firm iGrain India.