Annual food inflation fell marginally to 9.53 per cent for the week ended July 24 as prices of vegetables, especially potato and onion, declined.

The food inflation, which was 9.67 per cent for the week ended July 17, remained in single digit for the second consecutive week.

On an yearly basis, potato became cheaper by 41.14 per cent, while vegetables overall saw a decline of 17.32 per cent. Onion price also slid by 4.06 per cent.

Cereals, however, registered a rise of 6.87 per cent driven mainly by higher prices of pulses, rice and wheat over the same period last year.

While pulses became dearer by 20.49 per cent, prices of rice and wheat rose by 7.28 per cent and 6.79 per cent, respectively, during the week under review over the same period last year.

Among other food items, milk prices went up by 19.03 per cent during the week compared to same period of last year.

The food inflation, which was over 20 per cent in December 2009, slipped to single digit figure in the third week of July.

The overall inflation, which include change in prices of manufactured goods, was 10.55 per cent during June.