Inflation rate eases further to -1.55 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index eased further to -1.55 per cent (provisional) during the week ended 27 June 2009 from -1.30 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 20 June 2009), continuing the downward spiral for the fourth consecutive week in a row.

The inflation rate stood at 12.03 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (week ended 28 June 2008).
 
The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week under review rose 0.04 per cent to 234.7 (provisional) from 234.6 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the primary articles group rose 0.3 per cent to 258.5 (provisional) from 257.6 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for the 'food articles' group rose 0.5 per cent to 254.0 (provisional) from 252.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of fish-marine (10 per cent), arhar and fruits and vegetables (2 per cent each) and urad and moong (1 per cent each). However, the prices of eggs (-10 per cent), tea (-3 per cent), bajra (-2 per cent) and maize and masur (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for 'non-food articles' group rose 0.1 per cent to 237.0 (provisional) from 236.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of linseed (3 per cent), raw wool (2 per cent) and raw rubber, groundnut seed and raw cotton (1 per cent each). However, the prices of niger seed (-19 per cent), sunflower (-3 per cent), copra (-2 per cent) and raw silk and rape and mustard seed (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for the 'fuel, power, light and lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 327.9 (provisional).