Commodity price inflation rate rises to 9.94 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on a point to point rise in the price index of commodities under the 'primary articles' groups (base 1993-94=100) stood at 9.94 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 7 November 2009 against 9.16 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 31 October 2009).

The annual rate of inflation based on the revised wholesale price index (Base 1993-94=100) in respect of 'primary articles' stood at 12.28 per cent during the corresponding week (ended 8 November 2008) of the previous year, a government release said.

The index for the primary articles group rose 0.8 per cent to 276.4 (provisional) from 274.2 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for the 'food articles' group rose 0.9 per cent to 281.8 (provisional) from 279.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of urad (9 per cent), mutton and moong (4 per cent each), condiments and spices, barley, wheat and bajra (3 per cent each) and milk, gram, fish-inland and eggs (1 per cent each). However, the prices of jowar, poultry chicken and fruits and vegetables (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for the 'non-food articles' group rose 0.7 per cent to 238.3 (provisional) from 236.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of raw jute (7 per cent), fodder (5 per cent), raw cotton (3 per cent), castor seed (2 per cent) and copra (1 per cent). However, the prices of soyabean and raw rubber (-1 per cent each) declined.

The inflation rate for the `fuel, power, light and lubricants' group, calculated on point to point basis, stood at (-) 1.51 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 7 November 2009 against (-) 1.71 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 31 October 2009).

The inflation rate for the fuel, power, light and lubricants' group stood at 7.20 per cent during the corresponding week (ended 8 November 2008) of the previous year.

The index for the `fuel, power, light and lubricants' group (Base 1993-94=100) rose 0.1 per cent to 344.7 (provisional) from 344.2 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of aviation turbine fuel (11 per cent) and furnace oil (1 per cent).