New Delhi, September 10: Riding on high food prices, the annual rate of inflation for the week ended August 29 rose slightly but stayed in the negative zone for 13th week in row.
Official data released on Thursday showed that inflation, calculated on point to point basis, stood at -0.12 percent for the week ended August 29. It was minus 0.21 percent for the previous week and 12.38 percent during the corresponding week last year.
Primary articles, with a weightage of 22.02%, rose by 0.3 percent.
The higher inflation was primarily on higher prices of eggs (4%), fish-marine (2%) and moong, fruits & vegetables and milk (1% each). However, the prices of jowar, masur and gram (1% each) declined.
While prices of fodder (13%), castor seed (3%), raw rubber (2%) and rape & mustard seed (1%) declined.
Prices of salt (4%) and sugar and cotton seed oil (1% each) also declined in the said week. There was an increase in prices of soyabean oil (3%) and rice bran oil, ghee, groundnut oil and imported edible oil (1% each) moved up.
Adding to the woes of common man, household laundry soap (35%), synthetic detergent (17%), toilet soap and tooth paste (6% each) and carbon black (1%) rose during the week.
Prices of basic metals alloys & metal products declined by 0.1 percent during the week.
The inflation rate had last turned negative in 1977. Negative inflation implies that the average wholesale price level was lower during a given week, than it was in the corresponding week a year ago.
Inflation, it may be mentioned, peaked in August 2008 to about 13 percent mainly on account of rising prices of crude oil and other commodities in the international market.
Notably, Government and private economists have warned that surging food prices would drive up inflation in coming months.
–Agencies