BEIJING, April 19 -- China's population of breeding sows rose for the ninth straight month in March, reaching 39.92 million by month-end, Li Jinghui, a senior official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said on Friday.

Pig prices bottomed out and rose to 15.4 yuan (about 2.17 U.S. dollars) per kg in the second week of April, up 5.3 percent year on year, Li told a press conference.

The output of pork, beef, mutton, poultry and eggs all posted year-on-year growth in the first quarter of this year, Li said, adding that the country's supplies of vegetables and fruits remained stable.

China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, edged up 0.1 percent year on year in March, official data showed earlier this month.

"As the economy continues to recover, the demand for agricultural products will continue to grow, and market expectations will further improve. The overall price of agricultural products is expected to stabilize and remain within a reasonable range," Lei Liugong, an official with the ministry, said at the press conference.

When asked to comment on the drop in China's purchase of soybeans and corn from the United States, Chen Bangxun, an official with the ministry, said the purchase of soybeans by Chinese enterprises is entirely of their own choice, which mainly depends on factors such as supply and demand and market prices.

As the world's largest soybean importer, China maintains good trade relations with all nations that export this commodity, Chen added.