Food inflation in double-digit; onion, fruits stoke price rise

New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Food inflation entered the double-
digit number after a gap of five months, at 10.05 per cent for
the week ended August 20, as onion, fruits, vegetables and
protein-based items turned more expensive.
Food inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index
(WPI), was 9.80 per cent in the previous week. The rate of
price rise of food items was over 15 per cent during the same
week last year.
This is the first time food inflation entered the
double-digit mark since the week ended March 12, when it was
at the same figure of 10.05 per cent.
As per the official data released on Thursday, prices of
onion soared by 57.01 per cent year-on-year, while that of
potato by 13.31 per cent during the week under review.
Fruits became dearer by 21.58 per cent and vegetables
overall by 15.78 on an annual basis.
The prices of egg, meat and fish were up 12.62 per cent,
while milk and cereals became dearer by 9.22 per cent and 4.64
per cent, respectively.
However, pulses became cheaper by 4.16 per cent and wheat
by 2.52 per cent year-on-year.
Overall, primary articles recorded 12.93 per cent
inflation for the week ended August 20, up from 12.40 per cent
in the previous week. Primary articles have a share of over 20
per cent in the WPI.
However, inflation in non-food articles, which include
fibres, oilseeds and minerals, stood at 17.19 per cent, down
from 17.80 per cent in the previous week.