Food inflation in single digit at 9.5% for week that ended on March 19

Food inflation fell to a single digit at 9.5% for the week ended March 19 amid easing pulses prices, even as fruits and protein-based items remained costly.Food inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) had risen to 10.05% for the preceding week leading up to March 12 after remaining in a single digit for two weeks.During the week ended March 19, prices of pulses declined by 4.40%.However, as per data released today, vegetables became costlier by 5.52% year-on-year, with potato prices rising by 8.39% and onions by 6.23% during the week under review.What is more, prices of fruits soared by 24.67% year-on-year and eggs, meat and fish became dearer by 15.34%.Food inflation stood at 20.18% in the comparable period last year.During the week under review, milk became 5.79% costlier on an annual basis.The latest WPI data also shows that prices of cereals were up 3.96% and rice became dearer by 2.94% during the week. However, wheat prices remained unchanged year-on-year.Meanwhile, non-food inflation was up by 26.18% year-on-year.Mineral prices were up by 12.35 per cent during the week under review, while petrol became dearer by 23.14%.Headline inflation in the country has remained above 8% since February, 2010. Overall inflation in February this year stood at 8.31%.