New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS): India's food inflation slipped below double digits for the first time in five weeks at 9.01 percent for the week ended Nov 12, official data released Thursday showed.

Food inflation had shot up to over double digits during the week ended Oct 8 and persisted at these levels as the festive season approached, pushing demand higher. It was recorded at 10.63 percent in the previous week.

For the week under review, prices of vegetables, fruits and milk showed a decline but eggs and poultry continued to cost more, according to data made available by the commerce and industry ministry.

The primary articles index, which has a 20.12 percent weight in the wholesale price index, also rose at a slower 9.08 percent as compared to 10.39 percent in the previous week.

The index of fuel and power was steady at 15.49 percent, while the index for non-food articles declined to 4.05 percent from 5.33 percent earlier.

Although after it had hiked rates in October the Reserbe Bank of India said it would hold off another increase if inflation showed signs of decline, bank's Governor D.Subbarao in a speech in Hyderabad this week said he would not hesitate to tighten rates further if inflation did not come down as expected.

Overall inflation too has remained stubbornly high, near double digits, since January 2010. Headline inflation based on the wholesale price index was recorded at 9.73 percent in October, according to the latest official data.

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: (-) 32.85 percent

Vegetables: 17.66 percent

Fruits: 4.59 percent

Potatoes: (-) 7.23 percent

Eggs, meat, fish: 11.98 percent

Cereals: 2.86 percent

Rice: 2.75 percent

Wheat: (-) 3.09 percent

Pulses: 14.28 percent