Wholesale inflation soared to a 23-month high of 3.55 per cent in July as vegetables, pulses and sugar turned costlier. The wholesale price-based inflation, reflecting the annual rate of price rise, in June stood at 1.62 per cent. In July last year, WPI inflation was minus 4 per cent.Wholesale price index inflation in vegetables shot up by 28.05 per cent last month, while pulses rose at 35.76 per cent. Potato prices rose at 58.78 per cent. The rate of inflation in sugar was at 32.33 per cent during the month.Overall the food inflation basket showed double digit inflation of 11.82 per cent, according to the Commerce Ministry data. All items, barring onion, in the basket showed a rising price pressure.WPI inflation, which was in the negative zone fromNovember 2013 to March 2016, has been firming up for the lastfour months.An elevated wholesale inflation in July follows spike in retail inflation, that too hit a 23-month high of 6.07 per cent well above the RBI's comfortable level. In its monetary policy announced last week, the RBI had maintained status quo on key rates citing upside risks to 5 per cent inflation target for March 2017.