BEIJING, April 4 -- Most of the capital goods in China posted lower prices in mid-March compared with early March, official data showed Tuesday.

Of the 50 goods monitored by the government, which include seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some agricultural products mainly used for processing, 11 posted rising prices, 37 registered lower prices and two remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Hog prices dropped 4.4 percent in mid-March to 15.1 yuan (about 2.2 U.S. dollars) per kg, NBS data showed.

The figures, released every 10 days, are based on a survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions across the country.