Higher prices of staple vegetables such as onion and potato pushed food inflation higher to 13.68 per cent in the last week of October.
On an annual basis, prices of potato have doubled during the one-year period ended October 31, 2009, while onions were expensive by 42.58 per cent.
High food prices also pushed up inflation of primary articles (items that are not processed) by 9.16 per cent. Pulses were also dearer by 22.73 per cent.
The government will release the monthly data on wholesale prices-based inflation, which would reflect price movement in manufacturing, on November 14.
According to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahulwalia: “Food price inflation by the end of the current financial year would be significantly lower than what it is right now.” Food inflation was 13.39 per cent the previous week.
Prices of vegetables are expected to ease in the coming months, Ahluwalia added.
