Not just food, almost all basic commodities' prices rose due to the pandemic. I think this is to be expected since most companies and manufacturers had to permanently or temporarily stop their production. Even local farmers were not able to produce due to the lockdown. Traveling products from place to place is also difficult due to strict protocols of the pandemic. That is why they have no choice but the increase the price. The pandemic had been a huge burden to all of us, people losing jobs, prices are increasing and we have limited access to everything.