Farm produce prices rise for fifth week

 BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Prices of farm produce in China have inched up for the fifth straight week during the week ending August 19, the Ministry¹ of Commerce said Tuesday.

The wholesale² cost of 18 types of vegetables monitored across 36 major cities gained 2.2 percent from the previous week, as rainy and hot weather affected³ vegetable growth and storage, the ministry said.

The retail⁴ price of eggs went up 1.3 percent week-on-week. The wholesale price of pork, a staple⁵ meat in China, rose 0.6 percent from a week earlier, but still down 23.1 percent from last year.

Wholesale prices of grain and oil fluctuated mildly last week, with the cost of rice, peanut oil and soy oil inching up 0.2 percent, 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, from the previous week. The rapeseed oil price was unchanged and the cost of flour went down 0.2 percent, the ministry noted⁶.

Prices of major production remained stable, with mineral and chemical products recording⁷ higher costs, while building materials and steel seeing prices decline, it said.

Meanwhile, eight staple aquatic⁸ products reported a 1.2-percent drop in wholesale prices from the previous week.

A report released separately by the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday showed that the average wholesale price of aquatic products across the country dropped 1.38 percent in July, compared with June. But the figure marked a 8.09-percent rise from last year.

The rise in farm produce prices is expected to push up inflation in August, as food prices account for a third of the proportion when calculating the country's inflation figure.

China's inflation rate eased to 1.8 percent in July, marking the lowest level since January 2010.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

5 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 aquatic   

adj.水生的，水栖的

参考例句：

• Aquatic sports include swimming and rowing.水上运动包括游泳和划船。
• We visited an aquatic city in Italy.我们在意大利访问过一个水上城市。