Wholesale inflation at 6-month high of 3.59% in October

New Delhi, November 14: Wholesale inflation rose to a 6-month high of 3.59 percent in October this year, as prices of food articles, led by onions and vegetables, climbed. Inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index had stood at 2.6 per cent in September this year, and 1.27 percent in October last year.

In food articles more than doubled, to 4.3 percent in October. Wholesale inflation in vegetables jumped to 36.61 percent in October, from 15.48 percent in September. Inflation in onions surged to 127 percent. But pulses continued to see deflation, or a fall in prices, of minus 31.05 percent. Potatoes saw deflation of minus 44.29 percent.

Inflation in manufactured products eased slightly, to 2.62 per cent, from 2.72 per cent in September.

The index for Fuel & Power rose by 3.1 percent to 93.5 (provisional) from 90.7 (provisional) for the previous month. The index for 'Mineral Oils' group rose by 3.9 percent to 82.2 (provisional) from 79.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of LPG (9%), naphtha, petroleum coke and ATF (8% each), furnace oil (7%), kerosene (5%) and bitumen, HSD and petrol (2% each).

The index for 'Electricity' group rose by 4 percent to 106.1 (provisional) from 102.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of electricity (4%).

The index for manufactured products rose by 0.3 percent to 113.7 (provisional) from 113.4 (provisional) for the previous month.

The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from Primary Articles group and ‘Food Product’ from Manufactured Products group increased from 1.99% in September, 2017 to 3.23% in October, 2017.