Eastern District has lowest food prices

Food prices in Sai Kung's wet markets are the highest, while those in Eastern District are the lowest, according to the Consumer Council.

Shoppers can do a comparison of price levels at wet markets in the 18 districts using the council's new monthly index.

'We hope people will be more alert to price differentials in different districts and make wise choices,' Ambrose Ho, chairman of the council's publicity and community relations committee, said yesterday.

Since last November, the council has been releasing a daily wet market food price index that compares food prices in two markets within the same district. The new monthly index is compiled on top of the information collected for the daily price watch. The survey records prices of 28 food items from four categories - fish, meat, vegetables and fruit - sold in 45 major wet markets.

The average food price across all 18 districts in January is set as the benchmark, represented by the number 100. An index higher than 100 means food prices have exceeded January levels.

For the three months ending August, for example, Sai Kung and Sha Tin scored about 20 per cent higher than Tai Po and Eastern District.

Sai Kung recorded the highest index, 109.6. It was followed by Sha Tin (104.9), Southern District (104.4) and Kwun Tong (102.6).