BEIJING - Prices of vegetables in China fell for a fifth week since the start of November this year, as combined price declines reached 17.4 percent during the period, a report by the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

For the week of Dec 6-12, prices of 18 types of vegetables in 36 major cities were down 3.6 percent compared to the previous week, and down by 4.5 percent year-on-year, the report showed.

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The report said the price fall was partly due to policies by the government to encourage vegetable planting. Figures from local government departments showed planned increases in the size of farmland for growing vegetables this winter. Guangxi and Hainan would increase the size of planting areas by 9.1 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively, compared to last winter.

Meanwhile, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces also planned to raise the size of planting areas by 7.1 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.

The report also said local governments have been working to maintain the stability of vegetable prices by further strengthening the link between production and sales.

The falling vegetable prices might come as a bit of relief amid the country's rising inflation, which hit 5.1 percent in November, a 28-month high.

Government data showed the country's CPI rose 3.2 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months, surpassing the government's target ceiling of 3 percent for 2010.