Retail inflation for farm workers and rural labourers rose to 5.49 percent and 5.74 percent, respectively in January mainly due to higher prices of certain food items, official data showed on Friday. The rate of inflation based on CPI-AL (consumer price index for agricultural workers) and CPI-RL (consumer price index for rural labourers) stood at 4.78 percent and 5.03 percent, respectively in December 2021.

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In January 2021, the rate of inflation based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL stood at 2.17 percent and 2.35 percent, a labour ministry statement said. Food inflation for farm workers stood at 4.15 percent and for rural labourers at 4.33 percent in January 2022 compared to 2.99 percent and 3.17 percent, respectively in the previous month. In the year-ago period, food inflation was 1.02 percent and 1.22 percent respectively.

The all-India CPI-AL and CPI-RL numbers in January 2022 decreased by 2 points and 1 point to stand at 1,095 and 1,105 points, respectively as compared to that in December 2021. A major contribution towards the fall in the general index of agricultural labourers and rural labourers came from food group to the extent of 4.65 points and 4.17 points, respectively mainly due to decrease in prices of pulses, mustard-oil, fish-fresh, sugar, gur, onion, vegetables & fruits, etc. The fall or rise in the index varied from state to state.

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In the case of agricultural labourers, the index recorded a decrease of 1 to 9 points in 11 states and an increase of 1 to 8 points in 9 states. Tamil Nadu with 1,292 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 869 points stood at the bottom, it stated. In the case of rural labourers, it recorded a decrease of 1 to 9 points in 10 states and an increase of 2 to 8 points in 8 states while it remained stationary for Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

Tamil Nadu with 1,278 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 917 points stood at the bottom, it stated. Amongst states, the maximum decrease in CPI-AL and CPI-RL numbers was experienced by Uttar Pradesh (9 points each), mainly due to fall in prices of wheat-atta, pulses, mustard-oil, vegetables & fruits, firewood, etc, it stated.

On the contrary, the maximum increase in CPI-AL number was experienced by Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan (8 points each). Jammu & Kashmir saw a maximum increase in CPI-RL number (8 points) mainly due to rise in prices of rice, maize, vegetables & fruits, wheat-atta, meat-goat, shirting cloth cotton (mill), firewood, etc, it stated.

First Published:Feb 18, 2022 8:03 PM IST