The Hindu Business Line : Inflation up on costlier food, manufactured items

THE annual Wholesale Price Index-based inflation rose 4.54 per cent during the week ended November 26, up from the previous week's annual rise of 4.32 per cent.

The surge in the year-on-year inflation rate was largely on account of higher food and manufactured product prices, according to data released here by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry today.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rose 0.1 per cent to 198.2 points, from 198.1 points a week ago. The Index was at 189.6 points a year ago. Inflation was at 7.30 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

On a disaggregated basis, the Primary Articles' group index was up 0.1 per cent at 198.2 points due to higher prices of food items, while non-food became cheaper.

The index was 189.5 points a year ago. The Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group index stood firm at previous week's level of 312.1 points. It was 289.7 points during the corresponding week last year. The Manufactured Products' group index was up 0.1 per cent at 172.7 points as prices rose for food, textiles, and machinery products. The index was 167.3 points during the corresponding week last year.

Among the Primary Articles' group, the index for Food Articles group rose 0.3 per cent to 200.1 points due to rise in prices of tea (four per cent), eggs (three per cent), condiments and spices, maize, moong and gram (two per cent each) and urad, fruits and vegetables and bajra (one per cent each), but masur was cheaper by two per cent.

The Non-Food Articles group index declined by 0.6 per cent to 180.9 points owing to lower prices of sunflower (six per cent), groundnut seed and gingelly seed (four per cent each) and cotton seed, niger seed, raw jute and soyabean (one per cent each).

However, prices rose for raw silk (seven per cent), copra (four per cent), raw cotton (two per cent) and castor seed and mesta (one per cent each).

Among the Manufactured Products' group, the Food Products group index was up by 0.1 per cent to 178.5 points due to higher prices of rice bran oil and oil cakes (two per cent each).

However, prices fell for gur (six per cent), groundnut oil and khandsari (three per cent each) and gingelly oil (one per cent).

The Textiles' group index went up by 0.2 per cent to 129 points owing to increase in prices of hessian & sacking bags (three per cent), hessian cloth (two per cent) and viscose staple fibre (one per cent). A two per cent fall in printing paper white pulled down the index for Paper and Paper Products group by 0.3 per cent to 176.7 points.

A marginal fall in cement prices led to a 0.1 per cent decline in the Non-Metallic Mineral Products group index to 168.8 points.

The index of Machinery and Machine Tools group was up by 0.2 per cent to 149.1 points due to higher prices of cranes (four per cent) and complete tractors (two per cent).

The Government revised upwards the inflation figures for the week ended October 1 to 4.61 per cent, from the provisional 4.24 per cent, while WPI stood corrected at 197.6 points as against the earlier estimate of 196.9 points.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page