The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, has demanded efforts to stabilize prices from key consumer sectors at a recent meeting with 17 national guilds, Guangzhou Daily reported Thursday.

Guilds invited cover beverage, dairy, sugar, grain, meat, alcohol and vegetables. Heads of the Ministry of Commerce also attended the meeting.

A cooking oil giant said Wednesday it was asked to suspend price rises for at least two months.

"In fact, the price of edible oil has started to hang upside down since November last year," said its director at the meeting, "but we will keep prices down as required to show our social responsibilities despite big cost pressures."

Last Friday, Wilmar, a small-packaging cooking oil manufacturer, was reported to have been told not to raise its price.

Relevant enterprises have been required to delay price rises since last November, the report said.