China sees slower growth in pork prices: ministry official

BEIJING - China saw a slower rise in pork prices as pig farmers' confidence in restoring production has been boosted by favorable government policies and market conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Thursday.

China has rolled out 17 measures to support hog production since the end of August, and most of them have been implemented, according to the ministry.

Hog stocks in some provinces have stopped falling and rebounded last month, with the number in 10 provinces remaining flat or even increasing compared with July, said Yang Zhenhai, an official with the ministry.

In August, the production of fodder for piglets saw its first expansion in five months to 1.46 million tons, up 2.2 percent month on month, which indicates rising stocks of piglets, said Yang.

Meanwhile, the sales of replacement gilts rose more than 80 percent month on month in August according to the monitoring of China's 100 key pig-raising enterprises, said the ministry.

With the outbreak of swine fever entering a relatively stable period and various favorable policies coming into effect, pig farmers have restored confidence in production, and pork supply is expected to gradually stabilize and recover, Yang said.