Food items still dearer despite fall in inflation

But there was no respite from soaring prices of essential items like cereals, pulses, and fruit and vegetables.

The wholesale price index, for the seventh week in a row, remained below zero. It was (-)1.17 per cent a week before.

However, prices of food items like mutton rose 14 per cent, arhar 9 per cent, gram 4 per cent, and fruit and vegetables 2 per cent during the week. At the same time, prices of imported edible oil increased 4 per cent, and coconut oil, sugar, butter, ghee and gur were expensive by one per cent each.

The prices of cereals rose about 11 per cent, pulses 16.9 per cent, and fruit and vegetables 14.1 per cent on an year-on-year basis.