BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China will take a string of measures to stabilize hog production and facilitate the sector's industrial upgrading to ensure pork supply, an official document said.

Local governments can step up support for hog production, with enhanced prevention and control of African swine fever and promotion of modern breeding in a standardized manner, according to a guideline released by the General Office of the State Council.

Hog slaughtering, transport and other related links of the sector should be upgraded, including building additional cold chain logistics infrastructure.

Policy support such as optimizing related insurances and credit services, ensuring hog breeding land use and improving legal and regulatory frameworks will be taken to encourage hog production.

Chinese government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance have stepped up support for hog production by rolling out specific policies recently.

These moves came as China's pig supply had shrunk substantially due to multiple factors including African swine fever and higher costs of pig breeding, which pushed up pork prices.