Pingtan supermarkets have agreed on a price cap which means that prices of farm products in the county will stay stable around the Spring Festival, the Pingtan Times reported on Jan 20.

The island county's seven major supermarkets - Guan, Xingfuxing, Xinhuarong, Haoxiang, Lianhewanjia, Lianhexinjia and Xinhuadu - signed an agreement on the pricing policy, stipulated by the local Price Bureau which is aiming for a stable price of 15 farm products from Jan 25 to Feb 15.

The government will subsidize supermarkets if they suffer losses within the price range, and one official said that the move aims to protect local residents from price hikes during the holiday.

The government has also opened a hotline, 12358, for members of the public to report any misconduct concerning the initiative.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman