BEIJING — China's pig herd bottomed out and rebounded in November as government measures at national and local levels to restore hog production started to take effect, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Dec 9.

The pig herd in 400 counties monitored by the ministry rose 2 percent month-on-month in November, the first rebound since November 2018, said Yang Zhenhai, an official with the ministry.

The number of breeding sows continued to rebound for the second consecutive month, registering a month-on-month increase of 4 percent, according to the ministry.

These upticks indicated a stabilizing trend in the country's hog production, which can be attributed to policy implementation, improved market conditions and strengthened confidence among pig breeders to restock, Yang said.

Affected by African swine fever and cyclical factors, prices of pork have been soaring this year due to short supply.

The trend has softened in the past weeks after the country rolled out multiple measures to stabilize hog production.

On Dec 6, the country released a three-year action plan to restore hog production in a bid to stabilize the supply of the country's staple meat, aiming to send its hog production capacity to normal levels in 2021.