WPI inflation rises to 4.17% in February on costlier food, fuel

The wholesale price-based inflation rose for the second consecutive month in February to 4.17 per cent, as food, fuel and power prices spiked.

The WPI inflation was 2.03 per cent in January and 2.26 per cent in February last year. After witnessing months of softening of prices, the food articles in February saw 1.36 per cent inflation. In January it was (-) 2.80 per cent.

In vegetables the rate of price rise was (-) 2.90 per cent in February, against (-) 20.82 per cent in January.

Inflation in pulses was 10.25 per cent in February, while it fruits it was 9.48 per cent, and in fuel and power basket it was 0.58 per cent. The RBI in its monetary policy last month kept interest rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive meeting and said that the near-term inflation outlook has turned favourable.

Retail inflation, based on the consumer price index, was at 5.03 per cent in February, data released last week showed.