CRI听力:Agricultural Product Price Keep Rising

The Chinese government has started distributing grain reserves to ensure market supply during the Spring Festival.

Yao Jian is the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce. He says the move will help ensure market supply doesn't get affected by extreme conditions.

"Facing the extreme weathers, the government will start up emergency preparatory schemes in central, provincial, city, and county administrative levels, to make sure the vegetable reservation to be put onto the markets in time, and to promise a consecutive market supply."

Agricultural product prices have been increasing this winter, a rise expected to continue during the Spring Festival.

Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce show food product prices in 36 provinces have risen 3.1 percent in a month.

Wang Bin, who's with the Ministry's marketing department, explains what's caused this rise.

"One of the reasons that vegetable price keep increasing is that extremely cold weather continuously swept China this winter. Snow, rain and fog in some parts of the country has affected the productivity, transportation, and market supply. Secondly, seasonal factors during festivals will significantly bring up the market demand. Thirdly, factors such as labor cost, land price, agricultural expenditure has also driven the price increase."

He also says vegetable prices will see a seasonal drop after the Spring Festival.

Warmer weather is also expected to increase food products on the market.