Food prices down for fifth straight week

The price of food in major cities has fallen for the past five weeks in a row, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

Of the 58 food items monitored last week in 36 principal cities, 31 have seen their prices fall, while 22 have become more expensive, the ministry said.

Water melons saw the biggest drop, of about 20 percent compared with a week earlier, due to increased supply. Vegetables were an average of 10.4 percent cheaper, as more local produce entered the market.