Chinese authorities on Thursday unveiled plans to release more frozen pork from its central reserves to ensure market supply.
A total of 40,000 tons of pork will be released to prepare for the strong demand during the approaching New Year and Spring Festival holidays, said Gao Feng, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) at a press conference.
The country will also step up efforts to keep the pork price stable, Gao added, as the country has rolled out a slew of measures this year to stabilize hog production.
Gao said the ministry will continue to monitor price curves and supply-demand dynamics of the pork market and prepare for future releases to shore up meat supply.
China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in November, mainly driven by surging pork prices, which rose 101.3 percent year on year last month, contributing nearly two-thirds of the CPI growth.
Despite pork prices rising in November, China's pig population increased by two percent in November compared with the previous month, data by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs showed.
(With input from Xinhua)
