BEIJING, Jan. 1 -- Farm produce prices in 36 major Chinese cities stayed mostly flat in the week ending Dec. 29 compared with the previous week, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.

Average wholesale prices of 18 kinds of vegetables rose 4.8 percent from a week earlier, while the prices of bitter gourds and tomatoes increased 11.3 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively.

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

The prices of grain and oil fell slightly, with peanut oil dropping 0.2 percent.

The cost of mutton went up 0.6 percent and beef 0.2 percent, while pork prices dropped 0.5 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 grew 3 percent year on year in November, down from 3.2 percent in October, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).