Prices rise further; inflation at 7.61%

Inflation shot up by 0.1 per cent to over 41-month high of 7.61 per cent week ended July 31, mainly due to surge in prices of fruit and vegetables, edible oil and other manufactured products.

The inflation, which touched 40-month week high of 7.51 per cent in the previous week, was much higher than 3.96 per cent started rising after surge in prices of fuel, commodities and fruits and vegetables since June this year.

The Wholesale Price Index was up by 0.2 per cent to 186.6 during the week mainly due to higher prices of primary articles and manufactured products, although fuel prices remained the same.

The final WPI stood at 184.7 for the week ended June 5 as against the provisional figure of 182.7. The final inflation during June first week was at 6.7 per cent as against the provisional rate of 5.55.

'Primary articles index' was up by 0.4 per cent to 191.7 during the week as prices of food items went up by 0.4 per cent, while non-food items were costlier by 0.2 per cent.

'Food articles group index' rose to 186.7 as prices rose for tea, maize, bajra (3.0 per cent each), urad and fish-inland (2.0 per cent each), wheat, gram, masur, moong, fruits and vegetables (1.0 per cent each). However, ragi was cheaper by 2.0 per cent.

'Non-food articles group index' was also higher at 195.3 due to costlier fodder (7.0 per cent), niger seed (3.0 per cent), rape and mustard seed (2.0 per cent) cotton seed, raw cotton, raw tobacco and gingelly seed (1.0 per cent each).

However, prices fell for raw rubber (7.0 per cent), sunflower (4.0 per cent), raw silk (2.0 per cent) and castor seed (1.0 per cent).

'Fuel, power, light and lubricants index' stood firm at 274.4, which was higher than 249.5 a year ago.

'Manufactured products index' rose by 0.2 per cent to 165.2 from 164.9 mainly due to rise in prices of food products, tobacco, paper, chemicals, metals, machinery and transport equipments.

The 'food products group index' rose by 0.4 per cent to 174.5 due to costlier processed tea (11 per cent), solvent extracted groundnut oil, rice bran oil (7.0 per cent each), gur (3.0 per cent) imported edible oil, groundnut oil (2.0 per cent each), biscuits, baby-foods, sugar and coconut oil (1.0 per cent each).

Prices of skimmed milk dipped by 3.0 per cent, while cotton seed oil was cheaper by 1.0 per cent.

The 'beverages tobacco and tobacco products group index' rose by 0.5 per cent to 213.6 due to surge in prices of potable country liquor by 12 per cent and Indian made foreign spirit by 1.0 per cent.

'Paper and paper products group index' rose by 0.2 per cent to 174.6 due to 2.0 per cent rise in prices of all kinds of boards.

The 'chemicals and chemicals products group index' was up by 0.1 per cent to 179 due to costlier synthetic resins (4.0 per cent), synthetic rubber and liquid chlorine (3.0 per cent each), acid and caustic soda (1.0 per cent each), although PVC resins was cheaper by 2.0 per cent.

Non-metalllic 'mineral product group index' rose by 0.3 per cent to 154.9 due to rise in prices of building bricks (5.0 per cent) and bottles (4.0 per cent).

'Basic metals alloys and metal products group index' was up by 0.1 per cent to 205.3 owing to higher prices of bolts and nuts and ordinary casting (2.0 per cent each) and aluminium ingots (1.0 per cent).

'Machinery and machine tools group index' increased to 0.1 per cent to 135.4 due to surge in prices of pumps (10 per cent), black and white TV sets and complete tractors (2.0 per cent each). However, excavator was cheaper by 6.0 per cent and ball bearing by 2.0 per cent.

'Transport equipments and parts group index' was up by 0.1 per cent to 150.6 due to a 3.0 per cent hike in prices of automobile spare parts.

'Textiles group index' declined by 0.1 per cent to 137.5 due to lower prices of tyre cord fabric and acrylic yarn (3.0 per cent each) and texturised yarn (1.0 per cent).

However, prices surged for nylon filament yarn (4.0 per cent) and hessian cloth (1.0 per cent).

'Rubber and plastic products group index' declined by 0.1 per cent to 135.8 due to a 4.0 per cent dip prices of plastic containers.