China targets bigger soy crop to bolster food self-sufficiency

That followed a major hit to its corn crop a year earlier from a series of typhoons. The document said that China will strengthen research into the mid to long-term impact of climate change on agriculture.

China will launch measures to increase soybean output, a major annual policy document said late on Tuesday, while also promoting modern greenhouses to bolster food production, as Beijing reinforces food security. The annual rural policy blueprint, known as the "No.1 document", said that stable farm output and growing rural incomes were critical to healthy development of the country, which is facing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, a fragile global economy and climate change.

Though China has long prioritised food security, it has become much more prominent in policy since the pandemic began in the country in early 2020. The country is largely self-sufficient in key food staples but has faced a major shortage of pork, and a corn supply crunch in recent years, as well as severe weather events.

Already the world's top soybean importer, China's small domestic crop fell sharply last year as farmers planted corn instead. The State Council document dedicated a full section to boosting the soybean and oilseeds production "project", using measures like increasing subsidies for land rotation programmes and rewards for counties that produce large volumes of edible oils.

Beijing also said it will "actively" deal with the unfavourable impact from late planting of wheat and strictly control corn-based fuel ethanol production, among other measures seeking to stabilise grain supplies. China's corn imports surged to a record last year, amid soaring domestic prices and low inventories.

While last year's document called for a need to diversify imports, this year's plan did not mention imports at all. "Even in the past six months, there has been much more focus on self-sufficiency and not much talk of imports," said Darin Friedrichs, co-founder of Shanghai-based consultancy Sitonia Consulting.

China also wants to accelerate expansion of beef, mutton and dairy production and "vigorously promote" construction of vegetable facilities in the north while improving emergency supplies. Last year heavy rains flooded key vegetable-growing areas, sending prices rocketing. That followed a major hit to its corn crop a year earlier from a series of typhoons.

The document said that China will strengthen research into the mid to long-term impact of climate change on agriculture. It also called for acceleration of the development of indoor agriculture such as greenhouses and promotion of advanced equipment and technology.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)