BEIJING — Fifteen leading hog producers signed deals with 16 city-level governments on Dec 26 to develop the swine industry there as part of the country's efforts to stabilize pork supply, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said.

The combined investment totals nearly 50 billion yuan (about $7.16 billion).

The move is expected to increase the country's pig herd by 22 million annually and provide jobs for 33,000 local rural households.

Han Changfu, minister of agriculture and rural affairs, urged leading hog companies to expedite implementation of the signed projects, while asking local governments to increase support for the projects, in a bid to recover pig production and help local farmers increase their incomes.

A great number of pigs have died or been culled due to the African swine fever outbreak in China and other Asian countries. The ravaging of pig herds in the world's top pork market helped drive China's consumer price index (CPI) up 4.5 percent year-on-year in November.

Pork prices more than doubled year-on-year last month, contributing nearly two-thirds of the CPI growth.