Pork prices in China edged up last week, official data shows.

From March 28 to April 1, the average pork price tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was 16.52 yuan (about 2.6 U.S. dollars) per kg, up 2.1 percent week on week.

But the price was still 46.9 percent lower than a year ago.

The National Development and Reform Commission announced in February that pork would be stockpiled to replenish state reserves, as the national average of pork prices against grain prices had dropped below a warning level.

The stockpiling work has begun in provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Chongqing, according to the commission.