The Hindu Business Line : Lower food, energy prices peg down inflation

The annual wholesale price index-based inflation rose 5.30 per cent during the week ended November 25, lower than the previous week's annual rise of 5.45 per cent. The dip in the year-on-year inflation rate was primarily on account of a decline in food and energy prices, the Government data showed on Friday.

During the latest reported week, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities ended at 208.6 points. The index was at 198.1 points a year ago. The annual inflation rate was 4.48 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

On a disaggregated basis, the index for Primary Articles group dipped 0.4 per cent to 212.5 points due to a decline in food and non-food prices. The index was at 199.2 points during the corresponding period a year ago. The index for Fuel, Power, Lights and Lubricants group fell marginally by 0.2 per cent to 328.8 points as prices of aviation turbine fuel fell by 17 per cent.

Jowar, bajra rise

Among the Primary Articles' group, the Food Articles' group index declined 0.6 per cent to 215.4 points due to lower prices of fish-marine (3 per cent), fruits and vegetables and urad (2 per cent each) and wheat (1 per cent). However, prices increased for jowar (2 per cent) and bajra, moong and barley (1 per cent each). The Non-Food Articles group index fell 0.1 per cent to 188.2 points as prices of raw rubber, gingely seed and castor seed dipped 1 per cent each. Prices of sunflower and soyabean, however, witnessed a 6 per cent and 3 per cent rise respectively.

Edible oil dearer

Among the Manufactured Products' group, the Food Products group index was up 0.2 per cent to 184.7 points on account of higher prices of imported edible oil (3 per cent), sunflower oil (2 per cent) and rice bran oil, coconut oil, gur, khandsari, oil cakes and gingelly oil (1 per cent each).

The Paper and Paper Products group index increased by 0.1 per cent to 192.1 points due to a one per cent rise in prices of printing paper white. The Chemicals and Chemical Products' group index rose 0.3 per cent to 194.1 points due to higher prices of syrup (9 per cent) and toilet soap (7 per cent).

The Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group index declined 0.1 per cent to 192.6 points due to a marginal fall in cement prices.

The Base Metals Alloys and Metal Products' group index was up 0.1 per cent to 238.4 points driven by higher prices of steel ingots (6 per cent) and pipes and tubes and zinc ingots (2 per cent each), even as prices of lead ingots and zinc slipped 2 per cent each. The Machinery and Machinery The tools' group index was up 0.3 per cent to 156.3 points as prices of jelly filled telephone cables rose 10 per cent. The Transport Equipment and Parts group index declined 0.2 per cent to 163.1 points due to a 10 per cent dip in prices of two and three-wheelers components and a 9 per cent fall in prices of motorcycle parts.

The Government revised the final inflation figure to 5.41 per cent from the provisional 5.16 per cent for the week ended September 30, while the WPI stood corrected at 208.3 points as against the earlier estimate of 207.8 points.