India's food inflation ups further to 19 per cent

There was no respite from galloping grocery bills as the country's annual food inflation, based on wholesale prices, upped further to 19.05 per cent for the week ended Nov 28 from 17.47 per cent the week before, as per official data released on Thursday.

There was no respite from galloping grocery bills as the country's annual food inflation, based on wholesale prices, upped further to 19.05 per cent for the week ended Nov 28 from 17.47 per cent the week before, as per official data released on Thursday.

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Inflation of primary articles rose 13.9 per cent during the week against 12.53 per cent in the previous week, while that for fuel rose a marginal 0.06 per cent.

This was because petrol became cheaper by 11.86 per cent, diesel by 5.88 per cent and cooking gas by 7.42 per cent.

Food articles as a group rose 1.7 per cent primarily due to a 3 per cent increase in prices of moong, spices and arhar, a 2 per cent increase in that of fish, and 1 per cent rise for gram, wheat, tea and rice, according to data released by the commerce and industry ministry.

Following are the average rise in prices of some essential food items over a 52-week period:

- Potatoes: 102.19 per cent

- Pulses: 41.96 per cent

- Vegetables: 31.03 per cent

- Onions: 23.46 per cent

- Cereals: 12.76 per cent

- Wheat: 12.6 per cent

- Fruits: 12.54 per cent

- Milk: 11.36 per cent

Inflation for non-food articles rose at a faster pace -- 1.7 per cent during the week under review. While raw rubber prices increased 13 per cent, those for groundnut and castor seed went up 5 per cent. However, price of tobacco fell 2 per cent.

Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subba Rao Wednesday had expressed concern over the food price inflation in the country, saying that it could fuel "inflationary expectations".

"If food price inflation persists for long, they can fuel inflationary expectations and the monetary policy will have to take a view on this," Rao told reporters in Kolkata.