India's food price inflation hits a five-month high of 10.05 per cent

Food price inflation in the country hit double-digit at 10.05 per cent for the week ended 20 August 2011, the highest in five months, as almost all essential food items, including fruits, vegetables and pulses, once again turned more expensive.

Food price inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 9.80 per cent in the previous week and 15.14 per cent in the corresponding week of the previous year.

The increase in food prices for the second consecutive week has been aided by transportation bottlenecks following torrential rains in most parts of the country and a brief stir by truck operators.

Prices of almost all food items increased during the week.

Build-up of inflation during the financial year (beginning 1 April 2011) was 8.88 per cent against 6.78 per cent during the comparable week of the previous year.

The index for the 'food articles' group rose 1.2 per cent to 195.0 (provisional) from 192.7 (provisional) in the previous week due to higher prices of chicken (up 5 per cent), fruits and vegetables and fish-fresh water (up 3 per cent each), ragi, jowar, egg and gram (up 2 per cent each) and fish-marine, moong, pork and bajra (up 1 per cent each). However, the prices of barley (down 1 per cent) declined.