New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Even as the government expressed concern over rocketing food prices, the country’s annual food inflation, based on wholesale prices, moved up to 19.95 percent for the week ended Dec 5 from 19.05 percent the week before.
As per official data released Thursday, inflation of primary articles rose 14.98 percent during the week against 13.9 percent in the previous week, while that for fuel rose 3.95 percent.

Following are the average rise in prices of some essential food items over a 52-week period:

- Potatoes: 136.39 percent

- Vegetables: 41.09 percent

- Pulses: 40.81 percent

- Onions: 15.42 percent

- Milk: 13.61 percent

- Wheat: 13.91 percent

- Cereals: 13.55 percent

- Rice: 12.7 percent

- Fruits: 10.93 percent

Opposition parties had stalled parliamentary proceedings Wednesday over spiralling food prices, resulting in the adjournment of Lok Sabha for the day.

“This is a matter of concern. There is an inflationary pressure, particularly in food items,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had later told reporters outside his North Block office here.

“If food price inflation persists for long, they can fuel inflationary expectations and the monetary policy will have to take a view on this,” Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subarao had said last week.