Prices of agricultural products in 36 Chinese large and medium-sized cities rose 0.5 percent this week from Aug. 3, according to figures released by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Wednesday.

Thirty-one out of 57 kinds of farm produce saw week-on-week price increases while the prices of 18 types saw a drop, said a report on the MOC website.

Vegetable prices climbed 4.5 percent week on week due to a decrease in supplies caused by rainstorms, while egg prices rose 0.7 percent from a week earlier.

The wholesale prices of pork, beef and mutton edged up 1.9 percent, 0.5 percent and 0.1 percent, the MOC said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2009)