Food inflation falls to 7.78 per cent for week ended 18 June

Food inflation fell to a one-and-a-half month low of 7.78 per cent for the week ended June 18 from a year earlier, as prices of fruits, vegetables, pulses and potatoes fell.

The wholesale price index (WPI) stood at 9.13 per cent during the previous week according to data issued Thursday by the ministry of commerce and industry. It was over 20 per cent during the comparable period of June, 2010. Week-on-week, the index dropped 0.8 per cent to 189.8.

Vegetable prices became 10 per cent cheaper year-on-year during week under review, according to the government data.

Potatoes became 2.39 per cent cheaper on an annual basis while that of pulses declined by 9.50 per cent during the week ended June 18. However, cost of other food items still continued to remain high.

Inflation in overall primary articles fell from 12.62 per cent in the previous week to 11.84 per cent, inflation of non-food primary items fell from 18.43 per cent in the previous week to 17.91 per cent.

Food inflation fall week-on-week of 1.35 percentage points is the sharpest in four-and-half months. The previous record of a decline of 2.1 per cent to 182.9 from 186.9 took place in the first week of February.  (See: India's food price inflation rate eases further to 11.05 per cent)