BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The hog production in China is expected to fully recover in the first half of 2021, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Tuesday.

By the end of November, the inventory of live pigs and breeding sows has reached over 90 percent of the levels seen in normal years, said the ministry.

The supply of pork in China is expected to increase 30 percent year on year in the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays.

China has been taking measures to boost supply since the start of 2020, including releasing frozen pork reserves and increasing imports.

To cushion the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak, China has ramped up financial support such as subsidies and loans for major pork-producing counties in a bid to encourage hog production.

In October, the number of hogs available for slaughter soared 26.9 percent year on year, and that of the breeding sows in stock surged 31.5 percent from the same period last year.