Inflation declined to 6.87 percent in July as the rate of price rise of the food articles category eased a little, although pressure remained on potato, pulses and rice as well as manufactured items.
Inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), was 7.25 percent in June.
In July last year, it was 9.36 percent.
Overall, food inflation declined to 10.06 percent in July, from 10.81 percent in June.
In July last year, however, the rate of price rise in this category was 8.19 percent. Food articles have 14.3 percent share in the WPI basket.
In the manufactured items category, prices rose for cotton textiles, paper and paper products, cement and lime.
The rate of price rise in the manufactured products was 5.58 percent in July, as against 5 percent in June.
In food articles category in July, potatoes turned expensive by 73 percent, rice by 10.12 percent, cereals by 8.29 percent and pulses by 28.26 percent on annual basis.
Besides, eggs, meat, fish prices were up by 16 percent. Inflation rate in milk prices was 8.01 percent and for vegetables it was 24.11 percent.
However, the pressure on prices of onions and fruits declined during July. While inflation in fruits was negative at (-)0.15 percent, for onion it was (-)9.81 percent.
Among the non-food articles, inflation in fibres was high at 5.89 percent, oil seeds at 25.22 percent and minerals at 8.43 percent.
–PTI