Food inflation fell by 0.5 per cent to 9.5 per cent for the week ended March 19. It was 10.05 per cent for the preceding week. The fall in food inflation rate is mainly due to easing pulses prices, even though fruits and protein-based items remained costly. Data released today indicates that during the week ended March 19, prices of pulses declined by 4.40 per cent. However, vegetables became costlier by 5.52 per cent year on-year, with potato prices rising by 8.39 per cent and onions by 6.23 per cent during the week under review. Prices of fruits soared by 24.67 per cent year-on-year and eggs, meat and fish became dearer by 15.34 per cent. During the week under review, milk became 5.79 per cent costlier on an annual basis. Meanwhile, non-food inflation was up by 26.18 per cent year-on-year. Mineral prices were up by 12.35 per cent during the week under review, while petrol became dearer by 23.14 per cent.