On July 2, the Ministry of Commerce held a special press conference on "one promotion and two stability". At the conference, a reporter asked about the market supply of pork, fruits and vegetables and asked what measures the Ministry of Commerce would take to ensure the supply of daily necessities.
Wang Bin pointed out that for some time, the prices of daily necessities such as pork, fruits and vegetables have increased to varying degrees, which has aroused the attention of all sectors of society. Recently, with the temperature rising, a large number of seasonal vegetables and fruits have been listed, the prices of fruits and vegetables have generally shown a downward trend, and the increase of pork prices has also slowed down compared with the previous period. According to the data monitored by the Ministry of Commerce, last week, the average wholesale price of 30 kinds of vegetables in 36 large and medium-sized cities in China decreased by 3.7% compared with the beginning of June and 11.9% compared with the beginning of May. The average wholesale price of 6 kinds of fruits monitored decreased by 0.2% compared with the previous week, and the increase of pork price decreased by 3.3 percentage points compared with the previous week.
Wang Bin said that compared with industrial consumer goods, the production and circulation of agricultural products are more vulnerable to the impact of production cycle, epidemic situation, weather, natural disasters and other factors, and subject to multiple risks and challenges. Some of the price increases that occurred some time ago belong to the periodic supply and demand fluctuations of the normal market.
For example, last year, the main apple and pear producing areas were affected by abnormal weather, resulting in a significant decline in output; This spring, some areas in the South continued to be cloudy and rainy, which had a certain impact on vegetable production. Some are affected by non market factors. For example, due to the impact of African swine fever epidemic, the pig stock has decreased to a certain extent.
Wang Bin said: "in view of these situations, government departments at all levels attach great importance to them, adhere to the principle of marketization, and implement policies according to products and reasons."
Wang Bin stressed that although the prices of fruits, vegetables and pork have increased in this round, the market supply is guaranteed. On the one hand, the rise in the price of agricultural products affects the consumption of urban residents, especially low-income groups, and increases the anxiety of some consumers. At the same time, we should also see that the moderate rise in the price is conducive to improving the enthusiasm of agricultural product production and plays a positive guiding role in maintaining market supply, increasing market supply and stabilizing market price in the later stage.
Turning to the next steps, Wang Bin pointed out that the Ministry of Commerce will further strengthen market monitoring and information guidance, guide all localities to strengthen the connection between production and marketing, unblock the circulation channels of agricultural products, improve the level of cold chain logistics, and promote the construction of retail outlets such as community vegetable markets and convenience stores. Cooperate with the agricultural department in the prevention and control of swine fever in Africa, make full use of the two markets and two resources, and balance the domestic market. Through this series of different measures, we can effectively ensure the market supply of daily necessities such as pork, fruits and vegetables.