The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) for the month of December, 2015 declined by 0.1 percent to 177.4 (provisional) from 177.6 (provisional) for the previous month.
INFLATION
The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at -0.73% (provisional) for the month of December, 2015 (over December, 2014) as compared to -1.99% (provisional) for the previous month and -0.50% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 0.74% compared to a build up rate of -0.89% in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The movement of the index for the various commodity groups is summarized below:-
PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 20.12%)
The index for this major group rose by 0.5 percent to 257.8 (provisional) from 256.5 (provisional). The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-
The index for ‘Food Articles’ group rose by 0.6 percent to 272.7 (provisional) from 271.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of poultry chicken (18%), fish-inland (10%), beef & buffalo meat (9%), pork and bajra (4% each), egg, tea, fish-marine and condiments & spices (3% each), jowar, urad and barley (2% each) and maize, arhar and wheat (1 % each). However, the price of moong (7%), masur (5%), fruits & vegetables (2%) and mutton (1%) declined.
The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 1.0 percent to 223.9 (provisional) from 221.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of mesta and flowers (12% each), raw jute and linseed (5% each), groundnut seed and raw wool (4% each), niger seed (3%), fodder and raw cotton (2% each) and rape & mustard seed and sunflower (1% each). However, the price of guar seed (11%), castor seed and raw rubber (7% each), soyabean and gingelly seed (3% each), coir fibre (2%) and copra (coconut) and cotton seed (1% each) declined.
The index for ‘Minerals’ group declined by 2.4 percent to 212.3 (provisional) from 217.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of iron ore (10%), zinc concentrate (6%) and manganese ore (1%). However, the price of sillimanite and copper ore (1% each) moved up.
FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)
The index for this major group declined by 0.6 percent to 176.8 (provisional) from 177.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of furnace oil (10%), bitumen (3%) and petrol and aviation turbine fuel (1% each). However, the price of LPG (1%) moved up.
MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)
The index for this major group declined by 0.3 percent to 152.6 (provisional) from 153.0 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:-
The index for ‘Food Products’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 175.4 (provisional) from 174.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of tea dust (unblended) (7%), gram powder (besan) (6%), cotton seed oil and canned fish (4% each) and soyabean oil, mixed spices, processed prawn, mustard & rapeseed oil, sugar, wheat flour (atta), groundnut oil, palm oil, maida, sugar confectionary, gola (cattle feed) and bakery products (1% each). However, the price of powder milk (5%), tea leaf (blended) and gur (3% each), sooji (rawa), oil cakes and sunflower oil (2% each) and gingelly oil, tea leaf (unblended), copra oil and khandsari (1% each) declined.
The index for ‘Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products’ group declined by 0.4 percent to 205.2 (provisional) from 206.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of bidi (2%). However, the price of zarda (4%) and dried tobacco (1%) moved up.
The index for ‘Textiles’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 139.7 (provisional) from 139.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of man made fabric and cotton yarn (1% each). However, the price of jute sacking cloth, jute yarn and gunny and hessian cloth (2% each) and tyre cord fabric, jute sacking bag and cotton fabric (1% each) moved up.
The index for ‘Wood & Wood Products’ group declined by 0.7 percent to 196.4 (provisional) from 197.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of processed wood (1%).
The index for ‘Paper & Paper Products’ group rose by 0.2 percent to 154.9 (provisional) from 154.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of paper cartons / boxes (2%) and books/ periodicals/ journals and newsprint (1% each). However, the price of corrugated sheet boxes (1%) declined.
The index for ‘Leather & Leather Products’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 144.4 (provisional) from 143.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of leather garments & jackets (2%).
The index for ‘Rubber & Plastic Products’ group declined by 0.3 percent to 145.8 (provisional) from 146.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of plastic products (1%).
The index for ‘Chemicals & Chemical Products’ group declined by 0.5 percent to 149.9 (provisional) from 150.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of antibiotics (3%), hair / body oils and non-cyclic compound (2% each) and pesticides, polymers, urea, rubber chemicals, photographic goods and explosives (1% each). However, the price of synthetic resin (2%) and pigment & pigment intermediates and safety matches/ match box (1% each) moved up.
The index for ‘Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 177.5 (provisional) from 176.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of polished granite (2%) and bricks & tiles (1%). However, the price of marbles (3%) declined.
The index for ‘Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products’ group declined by 1.2 percent to 150.3 (provisional) from 152.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of pig iron, angles, plates and melting scrap (4% each), HRC, pencil ingots and CRC (3% each), joist & beams, gp/gc sheets, billets, rounds, ferro silicon and steel: pipes & tubes (2% each) and sponge iron, rebars, wire rods, steel rods, copper / copper ingots and steel castings (1% each). However, the price of zinc (5%) and sheets, ferro chrome and ferro manganese (1% each) moved up.
The index for ‘Transport, Equipment & Parts’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 138.0 (provisional) from 137.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of auto rickshaw / tempo/matador (3%).
FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, 2015 (BASE YEAR: 2004-05=100)
For the month of October, 2015, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 176.9 as compared to 176.7 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at -3.70 percent as compared to -3.81 percent (provisional) respectively as reported on 16.11.2015.
