Inflation rises to 0.26 per cent

The annual rate of inflation, based on the wholesale price index rose to 0.26 per cent (provisional) during the week ended 11 April 2009 compared to 0.18 per cent (provisional) for the previous week and 7.95 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (ended 12 April 2008).

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 11 April 2009 rose 0.3 per cent to 228.8 (provisional) from 228.2 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the `primary articles' group rose 0.5 per cent to 248.9 (provisional) from 247.6 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for the `food articles' group rose 0.5 per cent to 246.8 (provisional) from 245.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of tea (5 per cent), bajra and jowar (3 per cent each), fruits and vegetables (2 per cent) and mutton and maize (1 per cent each). However, the prices of gram and barley (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for 'non-food articles' group rose 0.8 per cent to 230.5 (provisional) from 228.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of raw rubber (10 per cent) and groundnut seed (3 per cent). However, the prices of niger seed (-5 per cent), fodder and raw silk (-2 per cent each) and copra (-1 per cent) declined.

The index for the `fuel, power, light & lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 322.6 (provisional).

The index for the `manufactured products' group rose 0.2 per cent to 200.9 (provisional) from 200.5 (provisional) for the previous week. 

Among manufactured products, the index for the 'food products ' group rose 0.7 per cent to 221.8 (provisional) from 220.2 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of imported edible oil (5 per cent), oil cakes (3 per cent) and rice bran oil, groundnut oil, salt, gingelly oil, sooji (rawa) and sugar (1 per cent each). However, the prices of rape & mustard oil (-4 per cent) and atta (-1 per cent) declined.

The index for the 'textiles' group rose 0.3 per cent to 141.0 (provisional) from 140.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian cloth and synthetic yarn (2 per cent each) and polyester staple fibre and hessian and sacking bags (1 per cent each).

The index for the 'chemicals and chemical products' group rose 0.05 per cent to 214.4 (provisional) from 214.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of PVC resins (4 per cent) and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (1 per cent). However, the prices of liquid chlorine (-2 per cent) and BOPP film (-1 per cent) declined.

The index for the 'non-metallic mineral products' group rose 0.1 per cent to 219.0 (provisional) from 218.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of building bricks (3 per cent).

The index for the 'basic metals, alloys and metal products' group rose marginally to 255.2 (provisional) from 255.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of steel ingots, lead ingots and zinc (2 per cent each) and zinc ingots (1 per cent).

The index for the 'machinery and machine tools ' group declined 0.1 per cent to 172.4 (provisional) from 172.5 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of hydraulic pumps (-7 per cent).

The inflation rate based for the week ended 14 February 2009 stood at 3.18 per cent as compared to 3.36 per cent (provisional) reported earlier as the final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base:1993-94=100) stood revised at 227.4 points as compared to 227.8 (provisional).