Expressing concern over high food inflation, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, has said the Government is taking all possible steps to keep inflation under control, but the success of these measures depends on the production of foodgrains and other related commodities.

“The government of India and state governments are concerned about inflation, especially of high inflation of food articles in recent times,” Mr Pawar said while addressing the Kharif conference here today.

Food inflation stood at 9.5 per cent for the week ended March 19 amid easing pulses prices, even as fruits and protein-based items remained costly.

Food inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) had risen to 10.05 per cent for the preceding week leading up to March 12 after remaining in single-digit for two weeks.

The Minister said high food inflation was partly due to the failure of the monsoon in many states during 2009-10 and partly due to increased income levels and a preference for high quality fruits and vegetables, besides crop failures during certain periods, such as in the case of onions.

“The Government is taking all possible measures to keep inflation under control, but success of these measures depends very largely on the production of foodgrains and other agriculture and related commodities,” he said.

The country is estimated to have produced 235.88 million tonnes of foodgrains in the 2010-11 crop year (July-June) against 218.11 mt in the previous year.

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