BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Supply of daily necessities is and will be sufficient with stable prices amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the country's top economic planner said Sunday.
The latest official data showed that on Feb. 8 the retail prices of rice, flour and cooking oil in 36 major cities were virtually flat as before the Spring Festival holiday, Chen Da, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a press conference Sunday.
Pork prices edged up and then eased, while egg prices remained stable with a downward trend and prices of 15 vegetables dropped 10 percent over the peak on Jan. 30.
Chen expected generally stable prices of major daily necessities and said enhanced efforts will be made to address shortages of certain products in certain places.
On the production front, it is estimated the output of winter and spring vegetables across the country would surpass 170 million tonnes, up 2 percent year on year, said Yang Lisheng, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The overall temperature in February is expected to be relatively high, which is conducive to the growth of vegetables, Yang said, stressing smoother connections between production and sales to meet market demand.
To ensure the supply of key products in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the government has built an efficient supply network of daily necessities across nine provinces to strengthen inter-provincial cooperation and coordination.
At the national level, the country has launched an emergency price monitoring system for important commodities and encouraged key suppliers of daily necessities to resume work, Chen said.
