WPI for April stands at 3.85 pct; declines by 0.2 pct for all commodities

Annual rate of inflation based on monthly Wholesale Price Index for April stood at 3.85 percent (provisional) as compared to 5.29 percent in March.

However, during the corresponding month of the previous year, the WPI stood at -1.09 percent.

Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was -0.18 percent compared to a build up rate of 1.21 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The index for this major group rose by 0.4 percent to 128.4 (provisional) from 127.9 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month includes index for 'Food Articles' group rose by 0.6 percent to 139.4 (provisional) from 138.5 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of beef and buffalo meat (11 percent), tea (11 percent), peas/chawali (eight percent), moong (five percent), fruits and vegetables, poultry chicken and pork (two percent) and masur, arhar, bajra, gram and milk (one percent).

However, the price of barley (eight percent), betel leaves (seven percent), egg (six percent), ragi (two percent) and wheat, urad and condiments and spices (one percent each) declined.

Also, the index for 'Non-Food Articles' group declined by 0.3 percent to 121.2 (provisional) from 121.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of raw jute (10 percent), rape and mustard seed (four percent), raw rubber and floriculture (three percent), raw cotton and sunflower (two percent) and cotton seed (one percent). However, the prices of castor seed (nine percent), copra (coconut) (five percent), guar seed (four percent), raw silk, groundnut seed and soyabean (two percent) and mesta, safflower (Kardi Seed), fodder and gingelly seed (one percent) moved up.

In the Fuel and Power category, the index for this major group declined by 1.9 percent to 92.8 (provisional) from 94.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of naphtha and furnace oil (seven percent), aviation turbine fuel (ATF) (five percent), petrol (four percent), high speed diesel (HSD) and bitumen (three percent), kerosene (two percent) and LPG (one percent). However, the prices of coking coal (one percent) and petroleum coke (three percent) moved up.

The index for this major group remained unchanged at its previous month level of 112.1 (provisional). The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month includes the index for 'Manufacture of Food Products' group declined by 0.1 percent to 127.3 (provisional) from 127.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of molasses, soyabean oil, spices (including mixed spices), maida, gram powder (besan) and sunflower oil (one percent).

However, the price of salt (two percent) and mustard oil, powder milk, basmati rice, gur, bagasse and castor oil (one percent) moved up.

Index for 'Manufacture of Beverages' group rose by 0.1 percent to 117.2 (provisional) from 117.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to marginally increase price of bottled mineral water.

In the category of 'Manufacture of Wearing Apparel' group, the inflation rose by 0.6 percent to 134.1 (provisional) from 133.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of manufacture of wearing apparel (woven), except fur apparel (one percent).

For 'Manufacture of Leather and Related Products' group, it rose by 0.2 percent to 120.2 (provisional) from 120.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of waterproof footwear and canvas shoes (two percent each) and gloves of leather (one percent).