China vows to stabilise grain production, increase soybean oilseed self-sufficiency

Chinese officials have vowed to stabilise grain production and increase soybean oilseed production capacity, readouts of agricultural policy meetings showed on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks to reduce imports and ensure food security

China must stabilise grain and edible oil production, improve grain varieties and enhance quality, state news agency Xinhua said, citing officials who attended the Central Rural Work Conference held on Monday and Tuesday.

At a separate meeting on Tuesday, agriculture ministry officials called for an increase in yields of grain and oil crops and an improvement in the self-sufficiency rate of soybean oilseeds, according to a ministry statement.

China is highly reliant on imports to feed its people, and tensions with the U.S., a major agricultural trading partner, have accelerated a domestic self-sufficiency drive that includes investments in machinery and seed technology.

At the Central Rural Work Conference, which sets China’s agricultural priorities, policymakers pledged to “enhance the capacity for diversified food supply” and “promote high-quality development of high-standard farmland through zoned and categorised planning”, Xinhua said.

“We must not relax our efforts in grain production, (and) promote the integration of high-quality land, high-quality seeds, high-quality machinery and high-quality farming methods to enhance the overall agricultural production capacity and quality,” the readout said.

The officials also said China would “make every possible effort” to increase farmers’ income and promote stable employment for migrant workers, as Beijing seeks food security in the face of economic challenges and pressures from urbanisation.

The readout also said China would launch province-wide pilot programs to extend rural land-use contracts for another 30 years after current contracts expire around 2027.

China’s total grain output hit a new record this year, up 1.2% from 2024 to 714.9 million tons, according to statistics bureau data released earlier this month.

Reporting by Shi Bu, Ella Cao and Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Thomas Derpinghaus and Jan Harvey

This article has been republished from The Reuters.