China has permanently banned 8,846 unlicensed meat suppliers after undertaking a special campaign to improve pork quality over a six-month period, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce said here Wednesday.

From May 26 to Oct. 31, more than 1.33 million meat suppliers, including supermarkets, meat processors and producers, were checked.

Nearly 1,000 tons of pork and pork products that were either substandard or failed to go through quarantine checks were confiscated during the campaign.

Since the end of May, local industry and commerce authorities have strengthened supervision over meat and livestock markets, and battled such violations as selling diseased pork and short weights. The wholesale price of pork has been rising for eight consecutive weeks since Oct. 1 due to higher demand in winter and increased feed price, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

Meat and edible oil prices rose 1.6 and 1.2 percent, respectively, over the last week. Industry insiders forecasted that meat prices would remain high this week.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2007)