Wholesale price index (WPI) based food inflation for rural labourers was higher than consumer price index in 2011 and 2012, Parliament was informed today.

All India annual inflation rates based on CPI for rural labourers of food items stood at 6.39 per cent and 6.84 per cent in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

However, the WPI of food articles and food products for the respective years were at 7.97 per cent and 8.13 per cent, the Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Srikant Kumar Jena said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

However, in 2013 (up to July) WPI=based food inflation was lower at 8.9 per cent from CPI based food inflation at 13.41 per cent.

“It may be observed...that WPI based inflation is higher than that based on CPI for the years 2011 and 2012 whereas it is lower in the year 2013,” Jena said.

WPI inflation increased to a five—month high of 5.79 per cent in July, 2013. The rate of price rise was 4.86 per cent in June.

While CPI inflation marginally declined to 9.64 per cent in July from 9.87 per cent in the preceding month as prices of cereal, pulses, fruits and sugar softened.

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