Vegetable prices contracted 4.88 per cent, the third continuous month of decline. Photo: Reuters Vegetable prices contracted 4.88 per cent, the third continuous month of decline. Photo: Reuters

With the decline in prices of vegetable and other food articles, wholesale inflation sharply eased down to 3.74 per cent in August to a nearly five-year low.

The inflation measured on Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was at 5.19 per cent in July and 6.99 per cent in August 2013.

Inflation in the food segment witnessed a significant decline to 5.15 per cent in August as against 8.43 per cent in the previous month, according to official data released here on Monday.

The August WPI inflation is the lowest since October 2009 when it stood at 1.8 per cent.

Vegetable prices contracted 4.88 per cent, the third continuous month of decline.

Maintaining a downward trend, the onion prices contracted by 44.7 per cent during the month under review.

However, potato prices were on the rise as inflation in the kitchen essential jumped to 61.61 per cent from 46.41 per cent in July.

Inflation in the fruits basket eased to 20.31 per cent in August.

While prices of protein rich items like egg, meat and fish contracted during the month, inflation in milk and pulses inched up to 12.18 per cent and 7.81 per cent, respectively, as compared to July.

The August retail inflation too eased to 7.8 per cent compared to 7.96 per cent in July.

(With inputs from PTI)





