TAIPEI -- Taiwan's consumer prices rose to a six-month high in August on hikes for agriculture products, fuel and Chinese medicine, the government said Wednesday.

The consumer price index rose 1.59 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with a 0.34 percent fall in July, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said.

The August CPI rise was the biggest monthly rise since February's 1.74 percent increase.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, August's CPI rose 0.31 percent from July, the directorate said.