BEIJING — China on March 5 released 20,000 metric tons of pork from its central reserves in a bid to increase supply and stabilize market expectations, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

To ensure market supply, a total of 55,000 tons of frozen pork has been released after the Lunar New Year holiday, said Wang Bin, an official with the ministry.

From Feb 24 to March 1, the average pork price tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs came in at 48.39 yuan (about $6.97) per kg, down 2.7 percent week-on-week.

The MOC said more frozen pork reserves would be put onto the market in the future.