BEIJING — China on March 20 released 20,000 tons of pork from its central reserves to increase supply and stabilize market expectations, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

More frozen pork reserves will be put onto the market in the future in due course, the ministry said.

Official data has shown that prices of the staple meat in China continued to retreat as the government has been taking multi-pronged measures to boost supply, including increasing subsidies to restore hog production, releasing frozen pork reserves and expanding imports.

From March 9 to 13, the average pork price index in 16 provincial-level regions tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs came in at 48.31 yuan ($6.9) per kg, down 0.5 percent week on week.