Higher food prices blow inflation to 5.26 pc

New Delhi, Oct 29: Despite the government's repeated claims of curtailing inflation below the five per cent mark, the annual rate of inflation for the week ended Ocober 14 climbed further to 5.26 per cent, owing to an increase in food and manufactured product prices.

The inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.77 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, according to official figures released here.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had reiterated that, ''Inflation will be contained within 5 per cent.'' The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended October 14, 2006, rose by 0.1 per cent to 208.2 from 207.9 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 212.4 from 211.9 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 216.1 from 215.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of ragi and maize (2 per cent each) and eggs, fruits and vegetables and condiments and spices (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of jowar, bajra and barley (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 0.4 per cent to 186.3 from 185.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of raw rubber and raw silk (3 per cent each), rape and mustard seed (2 per cent) and fodder, raw jute, groundnut seed and soyabean (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of gingelly seed (6 per cent) declined.

The index for the Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at it's previous week's level of 329.5.

The index for Manufactured Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 179.7 from 179.4 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group declined by 0.1 per cent to 182.3 from 182.5 for the previous week due to lower prices of oil cakes and khandsari (1 per cent each). However, the prices of gingelly oil (5 per cent) and groundnut oil (2 per cent) and ghee (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for Beverages Tobacco and Tobacco Products group rose by 1.2 per cent to 242.7 from 239.9 for the previous week due to higher prices of bidi (6 per cent).

The index for Textiles group rose by 0.1 per cent to 134.2 from 134.0 for the previous week due to higher prices of polyster staple fibre (3 per cent).

However, the prices of hessian and sacking bags, hessian cloth and other cotton yarn (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for Paper and Paper Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 191.7 from 191.1 for the previous week due to highher prices of pulp (7 per cent).

The index for Rubber and Rubber Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 151.9 from 151.4 for the previous week due to higher prices of suitcases (11 per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemical Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 193.5 from 193.0 for the previous week due to higher prices of methanol (27 per cent), carbon black (5 per cent) and oxygen (2 per cent).

The index for Non-Metallic Mineral products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 191.2 from 191.0 for the previous week due to increase in the prices of cement (0.2 per cent).

The index for Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 236.6 from 236.1 for the previous week due to higher prices of brass sheets and strips and copper (7 per cent each), zinc ingots (6 per cent) and lead ingots (2 per cent).

The index for Machinery and Machine Tools group rose by 0.3 per cent to 155.1 from 154.7 for the previous week due to higher prices of computer and computer based systems (11 per cent) and complete engines (2 per cent).

UNI

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