Inflation rate a tad higher at 5.64 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index edged higher to 5.64 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 17 January 2009 against 5.60 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 10 January 2009) and 4.45 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (19 January 2008).

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week under review rose by 0.2 per cent to 230.5 (provisional) from 230.0 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the 'primary articles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 249.1 (provisional) from 249.3 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among the major group of primary articles, the index for 'food articles' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 244.9 (provisional) from 244.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of maize (2 per cent) and rice, bajra and jowar (1 per cent each). However, the prices of fish-marine (-2 per cent) and gram and condiments and spices (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for 'non-food articles' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 232.6 (provisional) from 233.0 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of raw rubber, rape and mustard seed and sunflower (-1 per cent each). However, the prices of niger seed (6 per cent), castor seed (4 per cent) and fodder (2 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'minerals' group declined by 2.6 per cent to 591.1 (provisional) from 606.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of lime stone (-52 per cent) and magnesite (-34 per cent).

The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point-to-point basis, for 'primary articles' stood at 11.01 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 11.64 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 4.57 per cent during the year-ago period.

The annual rate of inflation for 'food articles' stood at 11.17 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 11.64 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 2.27 per cent during the year-ago period.

The index for the `fuel, power, light and lubricants' group rose 0.1 per cent to 330.0 (provisional) from 329.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of aviation turbine fuel (4 per cent) and furnace oil (1 per cent).

 The index for the 'manufactured products' group rose by 0.3 per cent to 201.8 (provisional) from 201.1 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among the major group of manufactured products, the index for 'food products' group rose 1.0 per cent to 207.2 (provisional) from 205.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of oil cakes (5 per cent), gur (2 per cent) and sugar (1 per cent). However, the prices of unrefined oil (-7 per cent), imported edible oil (-5 per cent), rice bran oil (-2 per cent) and groundnut oil and khandsari (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for the 'beverages, tobacco and tobacco products' group rose 0.6 per cent to 298.5 (provisional) from 296.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of beer and alcohol (25 per cent) and soft drinks (1 per cent).

The index for the 'textiles' group rose 0.1 per cent to 141.3 (provisional) from 141.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian and sacking bags (3 per cent) and hessian cloth (2 per cent). However, the prices of synthetic yarn (-1 per cent) declined.

The index for 'paper and paper products' group declined 0.3 per cent to 204.3 (provisional) from 204.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of other boards (all kinds), maplitho paper and cream laid woven paper (-2 per cent each).

The index for 'chemicals and chemical products' group rose 1.0 per cent to 216.5 (provisional) from 214.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (3 per cent). However, the prices of polystyrene (-15 per cent), blasting powder and oxygen (-3 per cent each) and liquid chlorine and acid (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for 'non-metallic mineral products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 215.5 (provisional) from 215.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to marginal decline in the prices of cement.

The index for 'basic metals alloys and metal products' group rose marginally to 276.8 (provisional) from 276.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of zinc (10 per cent). However, the prices of steel ingots (plain carbon) (-6 per cent) and zinc ingots (-2 per cent) declined.

The index for 'machinery and machine tools' group declined 0.3 per cent to 175.7 (provisional) from 176.2 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of boilers, its parts and accessories (-8 per cent) and electric motors (-2 per cent).

The index for 'transport equipment and parts' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 176.5 (provisional) from 176.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of crank shafts and automobile cables (-4 per cent each) and broad gauge diesel locomotives and other automobile spare parts (-2 per cent each).

The annual rate of inflation based on the final index for the week ended 22 November 2008 has been revised to 8.26 per cent from 8.40 per cent (provisional) reported earlier. The final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94=100) for the week stood at 233.4 as compared to 233.7 (provisional).

 and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point to point basis.