Food inflation in India declined further in the middle of this month even as prices of fuels remained steady, data released by the Government showed on Thursday. Inflation in the Food Articles group stood at 10.05% in the week ended August 14 versus 10.35% in the previous week, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said. It was at 13.45% in the comparable week last year. The index for Food Articles group declined by 0.2% to 297.9 in the week ended August 14. Inflation in the Primary Articles group stood at 14.75% in the week under review as against 14.85% in the week ended August 7. It stood at 7.74% during the week ended Aug. 15, 2009. The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.1% to 308.1 in the week under review. Inflation in the Fuel & Power group was unchanged at 12.57%. It was at (-)8.90% during the corresponding week of the previous year. The index for the Fuel & Power group remained unchanged at their previous week’s level of 385.9. But, inflation in the Non-food Articles group rose to 22.20% from 21.70% in the preceding week. It was at (-)2.7% in the year-ago period. The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 1% to 290.6. Inflation in the Minerals Group was steady at 45.69% versus (-)9.36% in the corresponding week of the previous year. Inflation for Cereals, Rice and Pulses decreased in the week ended August 14 over the year-earlier period while inflation in Vegetables shrank. Inflation in Potatoes and Onions too contracted but the same in Wheat, Fruits and Milk categories increased over the same period last year. In Non-Food group, inflation for Fibres and Oil Seeds shot up in the week under consideration as against last year. Inflation also climbed in the LPG, Petrol and Diesel categories over the year-ago period.
