Thursday, March 24 2005 19:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After rising for two consecutive weeks, inflation fell marginally to 5.23 per cent for the week ended March 12 even as price soared for vegetables and some of the manufactured products.

The index of Primary Articles' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 185.2 points due to costlier food and non-food items even as mineral prices fell sharply. The index was 180.9 points in the previous year period.

Food Articles' group index increased by 0.3 per cent to 184.8 points owing to higher prices for fish-marine (10 per cent), vegetables (four per cent) and fruits, bajra and tea (one per cent each).

Prices, however, fell for eggs (five per cent), barley (three per cent), arhar, condiments and spices and moong (one per cent each).

The Non-Food Articles' group index rose by 0.3 per cent to 179.8 points owing to one per cent hike in the price of sunflower, soyabean, raw cotton, raw silk and raw jute.

But prices fell for copra (two per cent) and castor seed and cotton seed (one per cent each).

Minerals' group index plummeted by near three per cent to 264.9 points due to seven per cent fall in the price of iron ore, even as prices more than doubled for chromite, steatite (seven per cent), flourite (three per cent) and asbestos (two per cent).

Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group index stood firm at 289 points, notwithstanding higher international oil prices and the index was 262.4 points in the year ago period.

During the week in review, world oil prices continued to remain high over $ 54 a barrel in view of the US-based International Energy Agency expecting a demand growth of 2.2 percent or 1.8 million barrels per day from its previous forecast of a 1.8 percent rise.