(Reporter Pei Shujing and correspondent Zou Jiao) The Urban CPI rose 2.6% in August compared with the same month last year, 0.2% rise on a month-to-month basis. The increase on year-on-year basis is 0.1% higher than that in July and the increase on a month-to-month basis remains the same with July reported by the Yichang Survey Team of the National Bureau of Statistics of China on August 18th. The rise of food price is still the main factor pushing up the overall index.

The price of fresh vegetables increased, while that of potatoes fell. The heavy rainfall in the earlier days and high temperature later led to the rising price of fresh vegetables. In August, the price of fresh vegetable demonstrated a slower increase, rising 6.9% on a month-to-month basis. Also the market supply of sweet-potatoes was in rise and the price of potatoes continued to fall, dropping 14.3% on a month-to-month basis.

Pork price continued to increase in August, shrinking 1% than that in July.

The price of aquatic product increased constantly. Several fishing farmers are seriously affected by the heavy rainfall in July, so the fishes are in large demand. In August, the price of freshwater fish rose 2% and that of shrimp and crab increased 4.1% respectively on a month-to-month basis.

Drug price increased. According to a sample survey, drug manufacturers adjusted the drug price on a large scale, followed by the pharmacies. As a result, traditional Chinese medicine price increased by 4.3%, while Western Medicine was down 0.9% and the price of health care products rose 2.9%.