Food inflation eases to 9.32 pc for week ended October 1

New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Food inflation declined
marginally, but was still high at 9.32 per cent for the week
ended October 1 as prices of major kitchen staples continued
to pinch consumers' pockets.
Food inflation, as measured on the basis of the Wholesale
Price Index (WPI), stood at 9.41 per cent in the previous
week. The rate of price rise in food items stood at 17.14 per
cent in the corresponding week of 2010.
The fall in food inflation could be attributed to a
moderation in the rate of price rise for some of the items on
a week-on-week basis, even though they remained higher on an
annual basis.
The fall could also be attributed to the high inflation
rate of 17 per cent in the corresponding year-ago period, a
phenomenon dubbed the 'high base effect' in economic parlance.
As per data released by the government today, vegetable
prices shot up by 13.01 per cent, with prices of potatoes
rising by 3.79 per cent on an annual basis, during the week
under review.
In addition, milk became 10.35 per cent costlier and
fruit prices rose by 12.19 per cent. Protein-based items like
eggs, meat and fish also became 9.92 per cent more expensive
on an annual basis. Cereals turned dearer by 5.41 per cent,
rice by 5.86 per cent and pulses by 6.87 per cent annually.
However, onion prices declined by 10.15 per cent on an
annual basis and wheat by 0.24 per cent.

Overall, inflation in primary articles was recorded at
10.60 per cent during the week ended October 1, down from
10.84 per cent in the previous week. Primary articles account
for over 20 per cent of wholesale price index inflation.
Inflation in non-food articles, which include fibres,
oilseeds and minerals, stood at 9.59 per cent during the week
under review, compared to 10.77 per cent in the previous week.
PTI JD
RCL