Food inflation inched up to 17.56 percent for the week ended January 23 on account of rising prices of potato and pulses.  The wholesale price-based food inflation was 17.40 percent in the previous week.

Potato prices jumped by 44.91 per cent over the last year, while pulses became dearer by 44.43 percent.

The inflation for primary articles, which include food and non-food items, marginally eased to 14.56 percent in the reporting week from 14.66 percent in the previous week.

However on weekly basis, the price index for food articles declined by 0.1 percent on account of lower prices of tea (5 percent), arhar (3 percent), and urad, fruits and vegetables, ragi and eggs (1 percent each).