BEIJING - Farm produce prices in 36 major Chinese cities dropped slightly in the week ending Jan 19 compared with the previous week, according to a Ministry of Commerce statement on Tuesday.

The average wholesale prices of 18 kinds of vegetables shed 1.4 percent from a week earlier, with the prices of celery and green pepper dropping 7.1 percent and 4.4 percent respectively.

The average wholesale price of aquatic products dropped 0.1 percent, according to the statement.

The cost of pork went down 1.3 percent, while beef stayed flat and mutton rose 0.6 percent.

Food accounts for about one third of China's consumer price index (CPI),a main gauge of inflation.

December's CPI rose 2.5 percent year on year, down from 3 percent in November and 3.2 percent in October, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.