Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The official Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) for the month of February, 2019, rose by 0.3 percent to 119.5 (provisional) from 119.2 (provisional) for the previous month.
The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 2.93% (provisional) for the month of February, 2019 (over February, 2018) as compared to 2.76% (provisional) for the previous month and 2.74% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 2.75% compared to a build up rate of 2.56% in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Primary Articles : The index for this major group declined by 0.2 percent to 134.2 (provisional) from 134.5 (provisional) for the previous month. The index for ‘Food Articles’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 143.8 (provisional) from 144.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of peas/chawali (7%), tea (5%), fruits & vegetables (3%) and condiments & spices, mutton and gram (1% each).
However, the price of betel leaves (17%), maize (7%), arhar (5%), bajra (4%), barley and jowar (3% each), poultry chicken, fish-marine, moong, masur and wheat (2% each) and paddy, urad, pork, ragi, egg and fish-inland (1% each) moved up.
The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 1.0 percent to 126.8 (provisional) from 125.5 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of tanning materials (12%), sunflower, floriculture and soyabean (6% each), mesta and fodder (3% each), gingelly seed, niger seed and cotton seed (2% each) and safflower (kardi seed), raw jute, groundnut seed, raw silk and raw wool (1% each). However, the price of guar seed (3%), raw cotton, skins (raw) and raw rubber (2% each) and copra (coconut), coir fibre, rape & mustard seed and linseed (1% each) declined.
The index for ‘Minerals’ group declined by 8 percent to 139.3 (provisional) from 151.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of copper concentrate (17%), garnet (15%), chromite (6%), sillimanite (6%), iron ore (4%), zinc concentrate (2%) and lead concentrate and limestone (1% each). However, the price of manganese ore (7%) and bauxite (3% each) moved up.
The index for ‘Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas’ group rose by 1.8 percent to 84.8 (provisional) from 83.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of crude petroleum (2%) and natural gas (1%).
Fuel & Power : The index for this major group rose by 1.7 percent to 101.0 (provisional) from 99.3 (provisional) for the previous month. The index for ‘Mineral Oils’ group rose by 3.3 percent to 91.3 (provisional) from 88.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of furnace oil (11%), naphtha (7%), HSD (4%), petroleum coke (3%), petrol (2%) and kerosene (1%). However, the price of LPG (4%) and bitumen (2%) declined.
Manufactured Products : The index for this major group rose by 0.2 percent to 118.1 (provisional) from 117.9 (provisional) for the previous month.The index for ‘Manufacture of Food Products’ group rose by 0.5 percent to 128.7 (provisional) from 128.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of molasses (28%), other meats, preserved/processed (5%), manufacture of macaroni, noodles, couscous & similar farinaceous products (5%), manufacture of health supplements (4%), cotton seed oil, salt, manufacture of starches & starch products and wheat bran (3% each), coffee powder with chicory, ghee and powder milk (2% each) and palm oil, rice [non-basmati], soyabean oil, groundnut oil, wheat flour (atta), manufacture of prepared animal feeds, condensed milk, castor oil, processing & preserving of fruit & vegetables and manufacture of bakery products (1% each).
The index for ‘Manufacture of Beverages’ group rose by 0.2 percent to 121.6 (provisional) from 121.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of spirits and aerated drinks/soft drinks (incl. soft drink concentrates) (1% each). However, the price of wine (2%) and country liquor (1%) declined, according to a PIB release.