Retail inflation resurges to 7% as food prices mount
For Mains
The Current Inflation Rate:
- India’s retail inflation increased to 7% in August from 6.71% in July.
- Rural inflation was at 6.8% in July, rose to 7.15% in August.
- Urban inflation rate moved up from 6.49% in July to 6.72% in August.
- Inflation in cereals rose from 6.9% in July to 9.6% in August.
- Inflation in vegetable prices, which was 10.9% in July, rose to a high level of 13.23% in August.
The major cause of inflation:
- The major driver behind this increase in inflation is the 7.62% increase in food prices.
- Since kharif crop sowing is increasingly unlikely to reach last year’s levels, food inflation could remain high even with healthy reservoir levels give good omens for a timely rabi sowing.
- A rebound in demand for services also increased miscellaneous and housing inflation, and is likely to remain in effect.
Why this is concerning:
- This is the eighth consecutive month that retail inflation has stayed RBI’s prescribed higher threshold of 6% inflation for the economy, and results in a reduction of spending power among the poorer households.
- Since industrial output growth in July dropped to the lowest level since April to just 2.4%, and output levels dropping 2.75% month on month would make the RBI’s ability to control inflation using monetary policy a bit more complicated.
Source : THE HINDU
