The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale index fell further to 8.40 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 22 November from 8.84 per cent (provisional) in the week before, official data showed.

The official wholesale price index for 'All Commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 22 November 2008 declined by 0.6 per cent to 233.7 (provisional) from 235.1(provisional) for the previous week.

The inflation rate was 3.11 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (week ended 24 November 2007).

The index for the primary articles group rose 0.1 per cent to 250.5 (provisional) from 250.2 (provisional) for the previous week. Among this major group, the index for 'food articles' group rose by 0.4 per cent to 245.6 (provisional) from 244.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of coffee (6 per cent), fish-marine and masur (3 per cent each) and rice, eggs, arhar, fruits and vegetables and gram (1 per cent each). However, the prices of maize and bajra (3 per cent each) and ragi and tea (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for 'non-food article ' group declined by 0.6 per cent to 234.3 (provisional) from 235.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of raw rubber (17 per cent) and raw cotton (1 per cent). However, the prices of sunflower and raw silk (1 per cent each) moved up.

The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point-to-point basis, for 'primary articles' stood at 11.98 per cent (provisional for the week under review as compared to 11.90 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 4.68 per cent as of 24 November 2007.

The annual rate of inflation for 'food articles' stood at 10.43 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 9.93 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 3.01 per cent for the comparable week the year before.

The index for the `fuel, power, light and lubricants' group declined by 2.3 per cent to 345.0 (provisional) from 353.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of furnace oil (23 per cent), aviation turbine fuel (14 per cent), naphtha (13 per cent), light diesel oil (11 per cent) and bitumen (8 per cent).

The index for the `manufactured products' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 203.1 (provisional) from 203.5 (provisional) for the previous week. Among manufactured products, the index for 'food products' group declined by 0.9 per cent to 199.8 (provisional) from 201.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of oil cakes (7 per cent) and soyabean oil (6 per cent). However, the prices of gur and coffee powder (3 per cent each) and sugar (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'textiles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 141.7 (provisional) from 141.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of texturised yarn (5 per cent).

The index for 'rubber and plastic products' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 167.9 (provisional) from 168.2 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of PVC fitting and accessories (11 per cent).

The index for 'chemicals and chemical products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 223.7 (provisional) from 223.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of PVC resins (8 per cent) and calcium ammonium nitrate n-content (2 per cent).

The index for 'non-metallic mineral products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 218.3 (provisional) from 218.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to marginal increase in the prices of cement.

The index for 'basic metals alloys & metal products' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 283.6 (provisional) from 284.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of pipes and tubes (5 per cent) and steel ingots(plain carbon) (3 per cent). However, the prices of zinc ingots (2 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'machinery and machine tools' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 177.0 (provisional) from 177.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of telephone instruments (46 per cent). The index for 'transport equipment and parts' group rose by 0.3 per cent to 177.3 (provisional) from 176.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of crank shafts (6 per cent) and other automobile spare parts (3 per cent).

The inflation rate for the e week ended 27 September has been revised to 12.08 per cent from 11.80 per cent (provisional reported earlier as the final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base:1993-94=100) stood at 241.3 as compared to 240.7 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point to point basis.