In the previous week ending April 10, food inflation was at 17.65 per cent. Prices of masur, jowar, fruits and vegetables fell by 2 per cent each over the week and that of wheat by 1 per cent.
However, moong, urad and fish-inland became costlier during the week. Overall the food index declined by 0.2 per cent.
The government expects prices of essential items to fall further on prediction of a normal monsoon.
"The outlook is further brightened by the fact that a normal monsoon is predicted this year...Indications of softening of food inflation are clearly visible...It is expected that this decline will continue in the coming months uninterruptedly," Mukherjee said on Wednesday.