By IRNA,
New Delhi : Food inflation in India declined to 11.05 per cent for the week ended February 5 as pulses, wheat and potato prices declined.
The food inflation moderated to 11.05 per cent in the first week of February declining by 2.2 percentage points from 13.07 per cent in the previous week.
On an annual basis, prices of potatoes declined by 13.63 per cent, while pulses became 5.88 per cent cheaper and wheat 2.54 per cent less expensive, data released by the government showed.
However, on the whole, vegetables became nearly 24 per cent costlier during the week ended February 5, pushed up mainly by a 31.33 per cent increase in onion prices.
Furthermore, fruit and milk prices rose by 12.21 per cent and 11.66 per cent, respectively, while egg, meat and fish became 15.14 per cent dearer on an annual basis.
At 11.05 per cent during the week ended February 5, food inflation was at its lowest level since December 4, 2010, when it stood at 9.46 per cent.
Meanwhile, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia forecasted Thursday that the declining trend would continue.
‘I am glad that (food) inflation has come down and I do expect that (the decline) would actually continue,’ Ahluwalia told reporters here.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee too expressed confidence the food inflation would soon come down to single digit.
It has been in double digits since the second week of December.