Inflation up at 3.59%

Wholesale prices-based inflation rose by 0.05 per cent to stand at 3.59 per cent during the week ended April 29 as against 3.54 per cent a week ago owing to food items going dearer.

However, the inflation was pegged at 5.67 per cent during the same week previous year.

The rise in inflation rate was moderate but analysts said it could see steep increase once the government decides to pass on surging global oil prices to customers, which will have cascading effect on other product prices as well.

The wholesale price index for all commodities rose by 0.1 per cent to 199 points during the week ended April 29 from 198.8 points of the previous week.

Among food items, prices of poultry chicken rose by 14 per cent, while eggs became expensive by 6 per cent followed by barley (three per cent), wheat (two) and urad, fruits and vegetables and gram by (one per cent each).

However, the prices of tea fell by nine per cent, moong and jowar declined by two per cent each and pork, arhar and ragi moved down by one per cent each.

The index for food articles group rose by 0.5 per cent to 198.2 points from 197.3 points.

In the non-food articles category, cotton seed became more expensive by two per cent, and copra, raw cotton and groundnut seed were dearer by one per cent each.

However, the prices of coir fibre declined by 20 per cent, fodder by seven per cent, raw silk by three per cent, raw jute by two per cent and niger seed by one per cent.

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