New Delhi: Compared to the previous week's figure of 6.46 per cent, the inflation eased to 6.39 per cent for the week ended March 24 due to lower prices of some food items and manufactured products.

Inflation might come down in weeks to come following a tight monetary policy of RBI, which had last week raised key short-term lending rate (repo) by 0.25 per cent and increased mandatory requirement of keeping cash by banks with the central bank by 0.5 per cent.

While prices of tea, barley, fruits and vegetables, raw cotton among food products declined, those for urad, gram, masur, fish-inland and condiment and spices rose.

In manufactured products, oil-cakes, imported edible oils, Hessian clothes and all kinds of acid became expensive. According to official estimates, oilseeds production is likely to be down in 2006-07 crop year (ending June, 2007) in various categories like groundnut and mustard, which are likely to further increase prices of edible oils.

However, prices of sugar, paper products, non-ferrous metals declined.

(With inputs from PTI)