WPI inflation declines to 2.26% in February from 3.1 % in January

New Delhi, Mar 16 (KNN) Wholesale price index (WPI) stood at 2.26 per cent (provisional) for the month of February, 2020 (over February, 2019) as compared to 3.1 per cent (provisional) for the previous month and 2.93 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

"Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 1.92 per cent compared to a buildup rate of 2.75 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year," according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

The food index-based inflation consisting of food articles and food product decreased from 10.12 per cent in January to 7.31 per cent in February.

The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 3.7 per cent to 154.9 (provisional) from 160.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of fruits & vegetables (14 per cent), tea (8 per cent), egg and maize (7 per cent each), condiments & spices and bajra (4 per cent each), gram and jowar (2 per cent each) and fish-inland, pork, ragi, wheat, urad and masur (1 per cent each). However, the price of beef and buffalo meat and fish-marine (5 per cent each), betel leaves (4 per cent), moong and poultry chicken (3 per cent each), mutton (2 per cent) and barley, rajma and arhar (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for ' Non-Food Articles' group declined by 0.4 per cent to 131.6 (provisional) from 132.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of safflower (kardi seed) (7 per cent), soyabean (6 per cent), cotton seed (4 per cent), castor seed, niger seed and linseed (3 per cent each), gaur seed, rape & mustard seed and fodder (2 per cent each) and raw cotton and mesta (1 perc ent each). However, the price of raw silk (7 per cent), floriculture (5 per cent), groundnut seed and raw jute (3 per cent each), gingelly seed (sesamum) (2 per cent) and skins (raw), coir fibre and raw rubber (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas' group declined by 1.5 per cent to 87.0 (provisional) from 88.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of crude petroleum (2 per cent).

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