September 3: News in Pictures

A vendor arranges vegetables at a market in Jammu

Annual food inflation rose marginally to 10.86 per cent for the week ended August 21, after the previous two-week decline, despite a fall in vegetables prices.

Food inflation had softened to 10.05 per cent for the week ended August 14 against 10.35 per cent in the previous week.

On an yearly basis, potato became cheaper by over 51 per cent, while vegetables overall saw a decline of 9.90 per cent. Onion prices also fell by 8.97 per cent, official data released today showed.

The price rises come despite good monsoon rains this year, which are crucial for irrigation, as well as government predictions price rises would ease. Higher prices of fruits and vegetables led to food inflation accelerating in the latest data.

The fuel price index rose an annual 12.71 per cent in the period, as against an annual 12.57 per cent in the previous week. The government raised prices of fuels in late June.

(Pictures by Reuters)