Food inflation drops to 16.61%

Food inflation fell sharply by over 100 basis points to 16.61 per cent for the week ended April 17 on lower prices of fruits and vegetables.

In the previous week ending April 10, food inflation was at 17.65 per cent. Prices of masur, jowar, fruits and vegetables fell by 2 per cent each over the week and that of wheat by 1 per cent.

However, moong, urad and fish-inland became costlier during the week. Overall the food index declined by 0.2 per cent.

The government expects prices of essential items to fall further on prediction of a normal monsoon.

"The outlook is further brightened by the fact that a normal monsoon is predicted this year...Indications of softening of food inflation are clearly visible...It is expected that this decline will continue in the coming months uninterruptedly," Mukherjee said on Wednesday.