Inflation rate hits a 30-year low of 0.13 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 0.13 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 30 May 2009 – its lowest in the past 30 years - as compared to 0.48 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 23 May 2009) and 9.32 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (ended 31 May 2008).

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week under review rose 0.1 per cent to 232.6 (provisional) from 232.3 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the `primary articles' group rose 0.4 per cent to 257.7 (provisional) from 256.6 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for 'food articles' group rose 0.6 per cent to 253.9 (provisional) from 252.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of eggs (11 per cent), mutton (3 per cent), fruits and vegetables and condiments and spices (2 per cent each) and barley, moong and urad (1 per cent each). However, the prices of coffee (-4 per cent) and bajra (-3 per cent) declined.

The index for 'non-food articles' group declined 0.1 per cent to 234.3 (provisional) from 234.5 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of raw wool (-4 per cent), raw silk (-3 per cent) and raw cotton and gingelly seed (-1 per cent each). However, the prices of raw rubber (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for the `fuel, power, light and lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 324.0 (provisional).

The index for the `manufactured products' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 203.5 (provisional).

Among manufactured products, the index for 'food products' group rose 0.1 per cent to 232.8 (provisional) from 232.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of ghee (4 per cent) and khandsari (2 per cent). However, the prices of cotton seed oil (-1 per cent) declined.

The index for the 'textiles' group declined 0.1 per cent to 141.4 (provisional) from 141.5 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of texturised yarn (-2 per cent).

The index for the 'paper and paper products' group rose 0.1 per cent to 204.0 (provisional) from 203.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of printing paper white (1 per cent).

The index for the 'rubber and plastic products' group declined 0.4 per cent to 166.0 (provisional) from 166.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of decorative laminates (11 per cent).

The index for 'non-metallic mineral products' group rose 0.2 per cent to 221.0 (provisional) from 220.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of cement (0.3 per cent).

The index for 'basic metals alloys and metal products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 255.3 (provisional) from 255.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of pipes and tubes (-3 per cent%), zinc (-2 per cent) and lead ingots and zinc ingots (1 per cent each).

The index for 'machinery and machine tools' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 171.9 (provisional) from 172.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of electrical generators (-6 per cent) and power driven pumps (-1 per cent).

The annual rate of inflation for the week ended 4 April 2009 stood at 0.83 per cent as compared to 0.18 per cent (provisional) reported earlier (17 April 2009) as the final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base:1993-94=100) stood at 229.7 as compared to 228.2 (provisional) as reported earlier.