Wholesale inflation soared to a two-year high of 3.74 per cent in August as pulses and manufactured items showed uptick in prices even as vegetable prices witnessed some moderation. The wholesale price-based inflation, reflecting the annual rate of price rise, in July stood at 3.55 per cent. In August 2015, WPI inflation was minus 5.06 per cent. The earlier high in WPI inflation was recorded at 3.74 per cent in August 2014.Wholesale price index (WPI) inflation in vegetables cooled to 0.17 per cent in August, from a spike of 28.05 per cent in July. According to the Commerce Ministry data, Pulses inflation continued to rule high at 34.55 per cent in August. Potato, a daily consumable vegetable, saw the price rise during the month at 66.72 per cent. For onion, it was minus 64.19 per cent.The rate of inflation in sugar was at 35.36 per cent and that for fruits rose by 13.91 per cent during the month. Overall, the food inflation basket showed some moderation with inflation at 8.23 per cent in August, against 11.82 per cent in July. WPI inflation, which was in the negative zone from November 2014 to March 2016, has been firming up for the last five months.