Food inflation back to double digits after 5 months

Food inflation entered the double-digitnumber after a gap of five months, at 10.05 per cent for the week ended August20, 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 fooditems was over 15 per cent during the same week last year.

This is the first time food inflation entered thedouble-digit mark since the week ended March 12, when it was at the same figureof 10.05 per cent.

As per the official data released today, prices of onionsoared by 57.01 per cent year-on-year, while that of potato by 13.31 per centduring the week under review.

Fruits became dearer by 21.58 per cent and vegetablesoverall 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 by2.52 per cent year-on-year.

Overall, primary articles recorded 12.93 per cent inflationfor 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 includefibres, oilseeds and minerals, stood at 17.19 per cent, down from 17.80 percent in the previous week.