BEIJING — China's population of breeding sows and hogs staged a quick recovery during the first half (H1) of the year after the African swine fever took its toll on the swine industry last year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on July 18.

The country had an inventory of 36.29 million breeding sows by the end of June, up by 5.49 million from the end of last year, and about 81.2 percent of the level seen at the end of 2017.

The hog population reached 340 million heads by the end of last month, up by 29.29 million from the end of last year.

During H1, pork production hit 19.98 million tonnes, while the output of beef, mutton, and poultry rose by 3.4 percent year-on-year to 14.91 million tons.

Pork is a staple in the Chinese diet and accounts for more than 60 percent of all meat consumed in China.

Since the beginning of this year, the government has been taking several measures to boost market supply, including releasing frozen pork reserves and increasing imports.