Inflation declined to 6.87 per cent in July as the rate ofprice rise of the food articles category eased a little, although pressureremained on potato, pulses and rice as well as manufactured items.
Inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI),was 7.25 per cent in June.
In July last year, it was 9.36 per cent.
Overall, food inflation declined to 10.06 per cent in July,from 10.81 per cent in June.
In July last year, however, the rate of price rise in thiscategory was 8.19 per cent. Food articles have 14.3 per cent share in the WPIbasket.
In the manufactured items category, prices rose for cottontextiles, paper and paper products, cement and lime.
The rate of price rise in the manufactured products was 5.58per cent in July, as against 5 per cent in June.
In food articles category in July, potatoes turned expensiveby 73 per cent, rice by 10.12 per cent, cereals by 8.29 per cent and pulses by28.26 per cent on annual basis.
Besides, eggs, meat, fish prices were up by 16 per cent.
Inflation rate in milk prices was 8.01 per cent and forvegetables it was 24.11 per cent.
However, the pressure on prices of onions and fruitsdeclined during July. While inflation in fruits was negative at (-)0.15 percent, for onion it was (-)9.81 per cent.
Among the non-food articles, inflation in fibres was high at5.89 per cent, oil seeds at 25.22 per cent and minerals at 8.43 per cent.