Marginal decline in food inflation

A marginal fall in food inflation from near 20 per cent to 18.22 per cent during the year-end owing to lower prices of vegetable brought little cheer to the common man as other essential commodities such as pulses, cereals and potatoes continued to be dearer.

According to the weekly data on wholesale prices of primary articles and other commodities, food price inflation eased by 161 basis points during the week ended December 26 from 19.83 per cent in the previous week, on account of a fall in the prices of seasonal vegetables and fruits during the seven-day span even as they remained at a high on a yearly basis.