Wholesale price inflation eases to 7.47 per cent in December

The annual rate of inflation, based on the wholesale price index (WPI) in the country stood at 7.47 per cent (provisional) in December 2011 against 9.11 per cent (provisional) in the previous month and 9.45 per cent during December 2010.

Build-up of inflation so far during the financial year was 4.95 per cent compared to of 7.12 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The index for the `primary articles' group declined 1.6 per cent to 197.9 (provisional) during December 2011 from 201.1 (provisional) during the previous month.

Among primary articles, the index for the 'food articles' group declined 3.1 per cent to 190.8 (provisional) during the month from 196.9 (provisional) in the previous month. During the month, the prices of fruits and vegetables declined 13 per cent while condiments and spices were cheaper by 6 per cent. urad (down 5 per cent), poultry chicken  (down 3 per cent), tea (down 2 per cent) and jowar, rice, arhar, ragi and barley (down 1 per cent each) also declined.

However, the prices of pork rose 8 per cent while fish-marine was dearer by 5 per cent and maize prices were up 3 per cent. Prices of bajra, egg, beef and buffalo meat, mutton and masur all rose 2 per cent each while gram, coffee, wheat and milk prices rose 1 each.

The index for the 'non-food articles' group rose 1.3 per cent to 178.6 (provisional) during December 2011 from 176.3 (provisional) in the previous month. During the month, prices of gaur seed rose 20 per cent while flowers were dearer by 14 per cent, linseed by 8 per cent, soyabean by 6 per cent, rape and mustard seed by 5 per cent, raw silk by 4 per cent, sunflower and raw rubber by 3 per cent each, safflower, groundnut seed and niger seed by 2 per cent each and gingelly seed and fodder by 1 per cent each.