Retail inflation eases marginally to 5.07% in January as vegetable, fruit prices drop

Representational image. AFP.[/caption]Based on Consumer price index (CPI), the inflation was at 5.21 percent in December -- a 17-month high, and 3.17 percent in January last year.The data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed that the rate of price rise for consumer foods eased to 4.7 percent in January, from 4.96 percent in December.Inflation in the vegetable basket slowed to 26.97 percent as against 29.13 in December. Prices of fruits too rose at a lower pace of 6.24 percent last month, as against 6.63 percent recorded in the preceding month.For the fuel and light segment, inflation was 7.73 percent last month compared to 7.90 percent in December.Price data are collected from selected towns by the Field Operations Division of NSSO and from selected villages by the Department of Posts.