China's farm produce prices dropped one percent in the first half of 2006 compared to the same period last year, a quarterly report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Wednesday.

The price of crops, forestry and aquatic products rose 4.9 percent, 10.5 percent and 3.8 percent respectively, the report said. Producer prices in animal husbandry fell 11.5 percent from January-June period of last year.

Grain producer prices dropped 0.6 percent from the same period of last year. Cereals were down 0.5 percent, wheat dropped by 4 percent, while the prices of unprocessed rice increased by 0.5 percent, and corn 0.4 percent.

Prices for cotton, sugar, vegetables, fruits, and tea grew by 14.3 percent, 32.8 percent, 11.6 percent, 18.3 percent and 6.8 percent respectively, while the prices of oil-bearing crops and tobacco leaf fell by 1.7 percent and 5.6 percent.

The NBS data also showed timber producer prices surged by 5.3 percent and the price of bamboo up 11.6 percent.

Hog prices fell by 20.2 percent, and the prices of beef cattle, poultry and eggs declined by 0.3 percent, 7 percent and 7.3 percent respectively.

The price of marine products rose 7.7 percent year on year, while the prices of fresh water fishery products grew 0.1 percent year on year.

The NBS said the figures were obtained from a survey of 31,000 agricultural production and management units throughout the country.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)