New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday attributed rising food inflation, which touched a nine-month high, to the increased demand for essential products in the festive season.

Food inflation showed a sharp rise during the week ended Oct 22 at 12.21 percent, according to data made available by the commerce and industry ministry.

The spike in food inflation in the three weeks of October, for which data is available, is mainly because of a rise in demand as the month had many important festivals which raises consumption.

"Food inflation is still dangerously above double-digit figure. This is a matter of grave concern and it is the effect of festive season demand," Mukherjee told reporters here.

"November onwards, the trend for remaining four months of the fiscal would be available," he added.

Prices of pulses, vegetables and milk and poultry all rose during the week ended Oct 22. The week before had seen food inflation logging at 11.43 percent. Overall inflation too has remained stubbornly high, near double digits, since January 2010.

The headline inflation based on the wholesale price index was recorded at 9.72 percent in September, according to latest official data.

To contain inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has hiked key interest rates 13 times since early 2010, but the frequent tightening of money supply has not had much impact on soaring prices.

The central bank, in its last rate hike, said that it may not take such an action further because it expected inflation to fall from December.

In the week under review, the primary articles index, which has a 20.12 percent weight in the wholesale price index, rose by 12.08 percent as compared to 11.75 percent in the previous week.

The index of fuel and power declined marginally to 14.5 percent.

During the week ended Oct 15, the index for non-food articles again showed a significant decline, growing at a slower rate of 6.43 percent as compared to 7.67 percent in the previous week.

The following are the yearly rise and fall in prices under review of some main commodities that form the sub-index for food articles:

Onions: (-) 20.33 percent

Vegetables: 28.89 percent

Fruits: 11.63 percent

Potatoes: 0.98 percent

Eggs, meat, fish: 13.36 percent

Cereals: 4.13 percent

Rice: 4.21 percent

Wheat: (-) 1.54 percent

Pulses: 11.65 percent

If inflation comes down as projected by March, the central bank said it could focus on offering incentives for growth.