China's breeding sow population rises for nine consecutive months

China's population of breeding sows rose for the ninth straight month in March, reaching 39.92 million by month-end, Li Jinghui, a senior official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said on Friday.

Pig prices bottomed out and rose to 15.4 yuan (about 2.17 U.S. dollars) per kg in the second week of April, up 5.3 percent year on year, Li told a press conference.

The output of pork, beef, mutton, poultry and eggs all posted year-on-year growth in the first quarter of this year, Li said, adding that the country's supplies of vegetables and fruits remained stable.

China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, edged up 0.1 percent year on year in March, official data showed earlier this month.