THE government will sell more frozen pork from State reserves as it seeks to contain rallying prices after the top consumer of the meat halted imports from dozens of overseas producers.

The country will sell 20,000 tons of pork Friday, according to a statement by the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center. It also offered 20,000 tons June 23, bringing total sales from State reserves to 430,000 tons so far this year, according to data from the center, which oversees meat stockpiles.

Domestic wholesale pork prices jumped 16 percent in June, the biggest monthly gain since October, after the country suspended imports from more than 20 overseas meat plants amid concerns over coronavirus infections among employees at the slaughterhouses.

Adding to woes has been floods in China’s south. Floods since June have brought difficulties to the transport of hogs and pork, and the weather condition has also made sterilization work harder.

Pork prices in China edged up sharply last week due to a supply shortage, coupled with increasing pork demand amid the quick recovery of work and production, official data showed.

From June 29 to July 3, the average pork price index in 16 provincial-level regions tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was 47.37 yuan (US$6.74) per kilogram, up 3 percent week on week.

Since the beginning of this year, the government has been taking several measures to boost supply, including releasing frozen pork reserves and increasing imports.

The country imported a record 400,000 tons in April, up nearly 170 percent from a year earlier.

Experts said seasonal factors also contributed to the rise in pork prices.

To cushion the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak, China has ramped up financial support, including subsidies and loans, for major pork-producing counties in a bid to encourage hog production.(SD-Agencies)