Household necessities prices in China stayed stable during the Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Ministry of Commerce reported Tuesday.

The average wholesale price of vegetables on Feb. 10 declined to 3.78 yuan per kilogram (52 U.S. cents), down 0.3 percent from the previous day and 2.8 percent from Feb. 6, the New Year's eve, according to ministry statistics.

Beef and lamb prices fell 0.1 percent from the previous day. The retail price of eggs fell 0.1 percent during the period while rice and peanut oil rose 0.2 percent.

In mid-January, China vowed to restrict price rises for key household commodities, including grain, edible oils, meat, milk, eggs and liquefied petroleum gas.

It was the latest in a series of moves since July to cool surging inflation that has stayed well above the official critical mark of four percent and shot to an 11-year high of 6.9 percent in November.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)