Food inflation rose to 16.44 per cent for the week ended May 1, mainly due to high prices of fruits and vegetables.

Inflation rose by 0.40 per cent from 16.04 per cent in the previous week.

On a weekly basis, potato turned expensive by 5.95 per cent, tea by 5 per cent, fruits and vegetables by 2 per cent while urad, arhar, masur, condiments and spices by one per cent each.

On an annual basis, pulses turned costlier by 32.49 per cent and fruits by 15.51 per cent.

Food Inflation had crossed 20 per cent in December.

Among non-food articles, sugarcane prices rose by 50 per cent during the reporting week, while raw cotton prices rose by 2 per cent.