By Diao Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-18 10:16

The price of pork has dropped for a fifth consecutive week, as government measures begin to take effect.

Pork in 36 cities was priced at 25.56 yuan (US$3.4) per kg last week, down 1.08 percent from the previous week, according to statistics from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The pork price in 23 cities dropped last week, while in other cities it stayed the same or increased slightly.

Figures from the agriculture ministry show that the number of live pigs in stock in August was up by 3.4 percent compared with the previous month, and the number of pigs ready for sale increased 9.9 percent year-on-year in a reversal of July's downward trend.

The number of sows in stock nationwide rose 3.8 percent in August from a month earlier, which is 3.1 percentage points higher than the figure for July.

Blue-ear disease, one of the causes of a pork supply shortage in recent months, has been gradually brought under control in the affected area, according to Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai.

The price of other meat and food fluctuated last week, according to the NDRC figures. Beef in 36 major cities was sold at 25.3 yuan per kg, up 1.28 percent. Mutton was at 27.1 yuan per kg, up by 1.35 percent. Eggs were priced at 7.86 yuan per kg, up 1.29 percent. Chicken was at 14.6 yuan perkg, down by 0.41 percent.

More pork is expected to be consumed during the cooler weather and the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 25, which is likely to push up the price, a report from the Xinhua News Agency cited an official from the NDRC as saying.