The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index fell to an eight-month low of 8.00 per cent for the week ended 29 November 2008 from 8.40 per cent in the previous week ended 22 November 2008.

This was the lowest rate since 12 April this year.

The inflation rate calculated on a point to point basis stood at 3.89 per cent  during the corresponding week (ended 1 December 2007) of the previous year.

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base:1993-94=100) for the week ended 29 November 2008 declined by 0.04 per cent to 233.6 (provisional) from 233.7 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the `primary articles' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 249.9 (provisional) from 250.5 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among the `primary articles' group, the index for 'food articles' group declined by 0.4 per cent to 244.7 (provisional) from 245.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of fruits and vegetables and barley (2 per cent each) and gram (1 per cent). However, the prices of ragi, urad, bajra and maize (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'non-food articles' group rose marginally to 234.4 (provisional) from 234.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of castor seed and groundnut seed (1 per cent each). However, the prices of raw rubber (5 per cent) and copra (1 per cent) declined.

The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point-to-point basis, for 'primary articles' stood at 11.66 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 11.98 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. And 5.52 per cent during the year-ago period (1 December 2007). The annual rate of inflation for 'food articles' stood at 10.52 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 10.48 per cent (provisional) in the previous week and 3.31 per cent during the year-ago period.

The index for the `fuel, power, light & lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 345.0 (provisional).

The index for the `manufactured products' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 203.1 (provisional).

Among manufactured products, the index for 'food products' group declined by 0.3 per cent to 199.2 (provisional) from 199.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of unrefined oil (-12 per cent), gur (-3 per cent) and rape and mustard oil (1 per cent). However, the prices of groundnut oil (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'paper and paper products' group rose 0.9 per cent to 205.5 (provisional) from 203.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of m.g. poster paper and kraft paper (6 per cent each).

The index for 'rubber & plastic products' group rose 0.1 per cent to 168.0 (provisional) from 167.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of PVC fitting and accessories (2 per cent).

The index for 'chemicals and chemical products' group rose 0.1 per cent to 223.8 (provisional) from 223.5 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of titanium dioxide and safety matches (14 per cent each). However, the prices of methanol (-13 per cent) declined.

The index for 'non-metallic mineral products' group declined by 0.05 per cent to 218.2 (provisional) from 218.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to marginal decline in the prices of cement.

The final inflation rate for the week ended 4 October 2008 was revised to 11.49 per cent from the previous 11.44 per cent (provisional) . The final wholesale price index for `All commodities' stood at 239.7 as compared to 239.6 (provisional).