Farm produce prices in 36 major Chinese cities stayed mostly flat in the week ending Oct. 27 compared with the previous week, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.

Average wholesale prices of 18 kinds of vegetables rose 1 percent from a week earlier, while the prices of tomatoes, bitter gourds and eggplants increased 11.1 percent, 7.8 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.

The average wholesale price of aquatic products rose 0.1 percent, while the price of eggs dropped 0.5 percent from the previous week.

The prices of grain and oil were mostly stable, with bean oil and peanut oil dropping 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent respectively.

The cost of mutton went up 0.1 percent and beef 0.3 percent, while pork prices dropped 0.2 percent compared with the previous week.

Food accounts for about one third of China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation.

The CPI rose 3.1 percent year on year in September, up from 2.6 percent in August.