Food inflation in India continued its upward journey in second half of February putting pressure on the UPA government to take a serious look into the matter. The Reserve Bank of India may have to rethink over its interest rate policy before its next meeting in April.

For the 12-month period to February 20, the food price index climbed 17.87 per cent against the government forecast of a slow down in rise of food prices. The price rise was slightly higher than 17.58 per cent recorded for the 12 months ended in the previous week.

Interestingly, the figures came just a day after Minister for Agriculture Mr. Sharad Pawar said in the parliament that food prices have started to cool down and it would continue to do so as the country has witnessed a good winter harvest.

Meanwhile, as rising food prices are pushing the overall inflation to newer levels, the apex bank in its upcoming annual policy review may go for a stricter step to check the monster. With the inflation already surpassing RBI's revised forecast of 8.5% for the end-March period, a hike in the key borrowing rates is quite probable, feels analysts.

Inflation in India was at 8.56 per cent at the end of January 2010.