August 24, 2011

Weekly pork prices in China up 0.1%

Wholesale pork prices in China rose 0.1% in the week to Sunday (Aug 21) compared to a week earlier, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

Pork prices are closely watched as they were the chief culprit behind high inflationary pressures last month, and have been climbing again for the last two weeks despite government efforts to contain food-price inflation.

Demand due to preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival in September contributed to recent rising prices in other key food categories, the ministry said.

Egg prices were up 0.8% in the week to Sunday, while mutton rose 0.6% and chicken 0.2%, it said. Edible-oil prices were 0.3%-0.5% higher, the ministry said.

The average price for 18 types of vegetables also rose by 2.1% in the period, it said.