Expensive food items push inflation to beyond 6% in May

Coffee (up 23%), poultry (7%), fish-inland (6%) and tea and fruits and vegetables (4% each) showed max price rise

Rising prices of food and beverages like coffee, tea, poultry, fish and vegetables pushed up inflation to 5-month high of 6.01 per cent in May.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was 5.20 per cent in April and 4.58 per cent a year ago in May.

According to the data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry today, food items whose prices rose the most during the month include coffee (23 per cent), poultry chicken (7 per cent), fish-inland (6 per cent) and tea and fruits and vegetables (4 per cent each).

The other items in the primary articles segment which became dearer are condiments and spices, fish-marine, urad and masur (3 per cent each), rice and moong (2 per cent each) and milk, barley, pork, mutton and arhar (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of maize came down by five per cent), wheat and ragi by 2 per cent each and egg, jowar and gram by one per cent each.

In the 'Non-Food Articles' category, guar seed became expensive by 13 per cent, soyabean (10 per cent), copra (coconut) (8 per cent), tobacco (7 per cent), raw jute (5 per cent), raw silk (3 per cent), mesta (2 per cent) and groundnut seed, raw cotton and cotton seed (1 per cent each).

However, the data showed, the price of gingelly seed and flowers declined by 8 per cent each, fodder by 3 per cent and linseed, castor seed and sunflower by 1 per cent.

The inflation figures for March was revised to 6 per cent from 5.70 per cent reported earlier. The previous high was 6.4 per cent in December.