UPDATE 1-Peru interest rate "probably" will not rise much further -cenbank

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LIMA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Peruvian central bank President Julio Velarde on Wednesday said the country's benchmark interest rate "probably" does not need to rise much further, after over a year of consecutive increases amid high inflation.

"Our job is to fight inflation; probably we don't have to rise interest rates much more," Velarde said at a presentation at the Perumin mining conference.

He cautioned, however, that this will depend on inflation data.

Peru's benchmark interest rate currently sits at 6.75%, having risen continuosly since July 2021, when it was at just 0.25%.

Peru and much of the world are combatting persistently high inflation, but Velarde's remarks underscore that he remains optimistic that price increases in the Andean nation have already peaked.

"The clear trend is the decrease (in inflation)," Velarde said. (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan Oatis)