On September 3rd, the reporter learned from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs that the national basket index for August was 130.32, an increase of 13.62 points month on month and 10.09 points year-on-year. Among them, vegetable prices began to decline in the last week of August after experiencing consecutive increases in the early stage. In August, the average wholesale price of 28 vegetables monitored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs nationwide was 5.83 yuan per kilogram, an increase of 21.7% month on month and 16.8% year-on-year. In the last week of August, vegetable prices across the country began to decline, with a weekly decrease of 0.9%. Looking at different varieties, as the number of new crops on the market increases, the price of cucumber decreases by 9.7% on a weekly basis, while varieties such as rapeseed, zucchini, lotus root, and carrots also experience varying degrees of price decline. Zhang Jing, Associate Researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences: In the last week of August, vegetable prices across the country fell, marking the first decline since vegetable prices had been rising for 9 weeks since late June. The main reason is that the weather in the north becomes cooler after autumn, and the precipitation also decreases, making the climate suitable for vegetable growth. In addition, with the large-scale listing of cold vegetables, low-priced bulk varieties such as potatoes, radishes, and Chinese cabbage are gradually being supplied to the market, which has overall driven down vegetable prices. Experts say that this year, the vegetable field area and yield in China have increased compared to the previous year, with a year-on-year increase of 1.4%. In addition, the meteorological conditions in September are favorable for vegetable growth, ensuring overall vegetable supply in the later period. Zhang Jing, associate researcher of the Institute of Agricultural Information of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences: It is expected that vegetable prices will enter a seasonal downward range in the later period, but affected by the early rainstorm, it will take some time for some vegetable production capacity to recover. And the consumption driven by the Mid Autumn Festival may slow down the magnitude and speed of the decline in vegetable prices. (New Society)