BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Supply of daily necessities remains steady in major Chinese cities while authorities are stepping up efforts to ensure continuous supply and stable prices amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Inventory of daily necessities including meat, rice and cooking oil is generally sufficient in major cities across the country, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

On the production front, output of winter and spring vegetables grew 2.7 percent year on year to 770,000 tonnes, according to data from 1,000 vegetable information sites monitored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA).

In response to the groceries shopping spree in some cities, MOC official Wang Bin said that the government and the private sector are making all-out efforts to expand market supply of daily necessities and advised against panic shopping.

Wang said the government is taking measures to tackle logistic barriers and labor crunch caused by the outbreak. MARA analyst Zhang Jing stressed smoothing transportation as the next priority.

Citizens buy fruits at a supermarket in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

A citizen buys vegetables at a supermarket in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

A citizen buys vegetables at a market in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

A staff member arranges fruits at a supermarket in Qingshanhu District of Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)

Sellers sell fresh vegetables at a trading center in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

A driver stands next to a truck full of fresh vegetables at a trading center in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Citizens buy vegetables at a supermarket in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

A staff member weighs vegetables for a customer at a supermarket in Qingshanhu District of Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)

Vendors sell pork at a market in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows vegetables in a cold storage of Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Citizens buy pork at a supermarket in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

A vendor arranges vegetables to be sold at a market in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

Sellers pack newly arrived turnips at a trading center in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Citizens buy food at a supermarket in Qingshanhu District of Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)

Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows vegetables to be sold at a market in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)