Wholesale price inflation rises to 11.39%

New Delhi: The wholesale price-based inflation (WPI) rose marginally to 11.39 per cent in August, mainly due to costlier manufactured goods, even as food prices softened. Snapping the two-month easing trend, WPI inflation rose in August and remained in double-digit for the fifth consecutive month. In July 2021, WPI inflation was 11.16 per cent, while in August 2020 it was 0.41 per cent.

"The high rate of inflation in August 2021 is primarily due to rise in prices of non-food articles, mineral oils; crude petroleum and natural gas; manufactured products like basic metals; food products; textiles; chemicals and chemical products, etc., as compared the corresponding month of the previous year," the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement.

Inflation in food articles eased for the fourth straight month, recording (-) 1.29 per cent in August, against zero per cent in July, even as onion and pulses prices spiked. Inflation in onions was high at 62.78 per cent, while that in pulses was 9.41 per cent. In vegetables it was (-) 13.30 per cent in August. Inflation in crude petroleum and natural gas was 40.03 per cent in August.