September wholesale inflation falls to a low at 0.3 pc

The annual rate of inflation based on monthly wholesale price index (WPI) stood at 0.33 per cent for September as compared to 1.08 per cent for the previous month due to fall in prices of non-food articles, government data showed on Monday.

It was at 5.22 per cent in September 2018. The rate of price rise for food articles was at 7.47 per cent during the month while that for non-food articles stood at 2.18 per cent, according to the data.

"Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 1.17 per cent compared to a build up rate of 3.96 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year," said a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

"The official WPI for all commodities for September declined by 0.1 per cent to 121.3 from 121.4 for the previous month," it said adding the index for primary articles with a weightage of 22.62 per cent declined by 0.6 per cent to 143 from 143.9 for the previous month.

The price of fruits and vegetables and pork fell by 3 per cent each, jowar, bajra and arhar by 2 per cent each and fish-marine, tea and mutton by 1 per cent each.

However, the price of condiments and spices moved up by 4 per cent, betel leaves and peas/chawali by 3 per cent each), egg and ragi 2 per cent each and rajma, wheat, barley, urad, fish-inland, beef and buffalo meat, moong, poultry chicken, paddy and maize by 1 per cent each.

The index for manufactured products with a weightage of 64.23 per cent rose by 0.1 per cent to 117.9 in September from 117.8 for the previous month.