BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's pig herd rebounded in December last year as the country rolled out multiple measures to restore hog production, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Wednesday.
The pig herd monitored by the ministry rose 14.1 percent month on month in December last year, higher than the 11.7 percent increases in retail sales of pork during the same period, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Yu Kangzhen told a news conference.
The number of breeding sows continued to rebound for the third consecutive month, registering a month-on-month increase of 2.2 percent in December, according to the ministry.
Pork supply and demand is expected to be balanced for the upcoming Spring Festival with heavier pig herds, more pork reserves released and expanded pork imports, said Yu.
Efforts have been made to restore hog production by supporting large-scale pig farms to strengthen infrastructure construction and increasing financial subsidies and credit insurance support for hog production, according to the ministry.
China released a three-year action plan last month to restore hog production in a bid to stabilize the supply of the country's staple meat, aiming to send its hog production capacity to normal levels in 2021.
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