China will take stronger measures to facilitate hog production and stabilize pork supplies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) said Wednesday.

Local governments will award incentives to major hog producing counties and allowances for African swine fever control efforts in a bid to revitalize pig farming, MARA spokesperson Guang Defu told a news conference.

China's hog stock declined by over 20 percent year-on-year last month due to multiple factors including the infectious animal disease and higher costs of pig breeding, Guang said.

The price of pork, staple meat in China, remained high in the first half of the year due to tightened supply, according to Tang Ke, an official with the ministry.

The average wholesale price of pork climbed 29.3 percent year-on-year to 20.63 yuan (about 3 U.S. dollars) per kg in May, Tang said. "As the recovery of hog production capacity still needs time, the upward pressure on pork prices is still very heavy."

The country reported its first case of African swine fever in August 2018 in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Later outbreaks were reported in several other provincial regions.

Since the first outbreak, MARA has taken strong measures to fight the disease and stabilize hog production, Guang said.

To step up the support for producers, authorities will accelerate the implementation of favorable loan polices, delivery of subsidies to farms with culled animals, and improve insurance on hogs, Guang said.

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