New Delhi: Wholesale price inflation rose to a 3-month high of 3.18 pc in March on costlier food and fuel, government data showed. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was at 2.93 pc and 2.76 pc in February and January this year, respectively, and 3.46 pc in December 2018.
It was 2.74 pc in March last year. Inflation in the ‘food articles’ basket hardened to 5.68 pc during March 2019 as against 4.28 pc in February.
Vegetable inflation was at 28.13 pc in March, up from 6.82 pc in the previous month. Pulses and wheat witnessed some cooling in inflation at 10.63 pc and 10.13 pc, respectively.
Also protein rich items such as ‘egg, meat and fish’ saw inflation fall to 5.86 pc. Deflation in onion was 31.34 pc, while the same in fruits was 7.62 pc during the month. Wholesale inflation in the ‘fuel and power’ category, however, spiked to 5.41 pc.