Vegetable prices push retail inflation to 10.18%

Retail inflation shot up to the double digit mark at 10.32% in April on account of substantial increase in vegetable, edible oils and milk prices.

Based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the inflation for March was revised to 9.38% from the provisional estimate of 9.47%, as per the government data release here today.

Vegetable prices recorded the maximum spurt in prices, up 24.55%, followed by edible oils - 17.63% and milk products - 14.94% in April, year-on-year basis.

Prices of egg, fish and meat shot up 9.95%, while non-alcoholic beverages became costlier 9.52%.

Among other items, prices of cereal and its products saw a rise of 3.94% over the April 2011 level.

While sugar saw a marginal rise of 4.32% in April, 'pulses and products' were up by 6.03%, over the same month last year.

Prices of fuel and light, and clothing, bedding and footwear segments also remained in the double-digit.

Inflation rates for rural and urban areas were 9.86% and 11.10% respectively in April.

According to the revised data, the inflation rates for rural and urban areas were 8.70% and 10.30% respectively in March.

The All-India CPI is in addition to the three retail price indices -- for agricultural labourers, rural labourers and industrial workers --  prepared by the Ministry of Labour.

Meanwhile, inflation based on Wholesale Price Index also rose to 7.32% in April on account of steep spurt in vegetables as they turned costlier by 60.97% during April as per the WPI data released earlier this week.