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Food and agriculture

Food and agriculture
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on food and agriculture, with a focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
Chinese confectionery giant Amos Food has seen its sweet brands go viral on TikTok and other social media platforms. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong stock market

Amos Food hungry for Hong Kong capital to expand global sweets empire

The confectionery firm’s Peelerz gummies have become a viral sensation on TikTok. Now, it aims to raise funds to expand its overseas presence.

Indonesia

Indonesia takes on Malaysia in battle over palm oil pricing

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Science

China builds world’s first custom plant immunity system for epidemic response

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Wellness

Milk vs plant-based alternatives: 7 claims put to the test

Experts look at cow’s milk and alternatives like soy, almond and oat, comparing the benefits, allergy safety, climate impact and more.

Are plant-based milks healthier, more eco-friendly or better for people with allergies than cow’s milk? Experts fact-check seven claims. Photo: Shutterstock
China consumption

Chinese durian lovers rejoice as better logistics send prices lower

Improved cold-chain transport links are making durians cheaper in the world’s biggest market for the pungent tropical fruit.

United States

Trump eases tariffs on ground beef imports for 90 days

He did not say which countries would be exporting the beef, but that there was a commitment to sell it at 25 per cent below market prices.

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US-China trade war

How China got caught in the crossfire of a US bacon fight

A dispute over animal welfare and pork production has become the latest flashpoint in America’s increasingly heated farm politics.

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Pigs are housed in pens at a commercial pork production facility. Photo: Handout
China trade

What China’s ‘no’ on Australian bean shipment says about trade ties

Incident sparks concern, but indicates China taking a proactive stance, not necessarily a gloomy forecast for relations, experts say.

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South Korea

In South Korea, some savour last season of legal dog meat

As the country nears a February 2027 nationwide ban on breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs ‌for meat, some diners turn to black goat meat.

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Ukraine war

Russia warns of global food market ‘chaos’ after Ukraine hits grain terminals

Grain shipments from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk are currently impossible because of serious damage to terminal infrastructure.

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A satellite image shows heavily damaged ships at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia, following Ukrainian strikes. Photo: Vantor/AFP
China trade

Fearing deflated China demand, US soybean growers pivot to new buyers, biofuel

With Chinese imports low according to a trade association, farmers are compensating by finding new markets and selling to biofuel makers.

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Soybeans are loaded into a truck so they can be hauled to an elevator and sold in Dwight, Illinois. Photo: TNS
Malaysia

Palm oil to cool data centres? Malaysia explores option as water demand surges

However, the proposal has raised concerns that it could lead to an expansion of palm plantations and create an environmental burden.

Science

Fruit fusion: how will the market react to China’s lychee-longan creation?

Described as tender and crisp, Cuimi delivers about double the yield compared with Shixia longan, say developers.

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Climate change

Drought declared in ‘almost three-quarters’ of England, government says

England and Wales both experienced the driest July on record, the UK’s Met Office said, with a fifth heatwave forecast for the week ahead.

People sit on a bench in dry grass at Hampstead Heath in London, Britain, on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Letters | Child nutrition in Asia is a worthy investment

Readers discuss the region’s nutrition problem, the US’ yen intervention, and the future of Bhutan’s traditional arts.

Students pray before eating free meals supplied by an Indonesian government programme at an elementary school in Banda Aceh in 2025. Fuel and fertiliser costs may impact child nutrition in Asia, with long-term consequences. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China buys at least 10 more cargoes of US soybeans, traders say

These are the latest in a flurry of purchases ahead of President Xi Jinping’s expected US visit in September.

Science

Chinese AI robot delivers needle-free pig vaccinations with 93% accuracy

Beijing researchers combine artificial intelligence and a six-axis robotic arm to automate swine vaccinations.

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China-Latin America relations

Cuban spy-base allegations, new Trump tariffs: 7 Latin America relations reads

From global soybean market updates to China’s best trade partners, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in July 2026.

The Havana Capitol is seen reflected in a puddle on July 11. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

‘We were just 2 kids’: how Hong Kong Gen Z pair started Chinese wine business

Anson Sik and Edson Bichon’s Purple Rain Wine is bringing Chinese natural wines – many from obscure vineyards – to drinkers in Hong Kong.

US-China relations

Chinese buyers acquire US soybeans for October-November, traders say

The ‌sales volume of at least 840,000 tonnes was among China’s largest single-day purchases this month.

China food security

China’s ageing farmers deploy drones as agriculture-automation trend spreads

Ageing rural populations are driving up demand for intelligent aerial devices, and the ‘irresistible trend” is expected to sweep through Southeast Asia.

An agricultural drone operates in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on July 18. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Food and Drinks

Where does your coffee come from? Starbucks buyer on drink’s complex journey

Christian Hackenberg shares why coffee growing and buying is far from simple, and the challenges farmers face from Indonesia to China.

A cup of coffee is an essential part of the morning routine for millions of people around the world, but have you ever wondered how the drink got from the plant to your cup? Starbucks coffee buyer Christian Hackenberg opens up on the challenges, including the ones coffee farmers face from China to Indonesia. Photo: Shutterstock
Africa

‘Super’ El Nino: Africa facing mass migration, US$20 billion in damages

A UN report estimated that by 2035 developing countries ‌will collectively need around US$365 billion each year to tackle climate change.

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China trade

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

Banking & finance

What are ‘climate black swan’ events, and why are global investors so worried?

As the threat of a super El Nino disrupts Asia’s food market, global banks warn investors to prepare for sudden, unexpected climate shifts.

A farmer harvests rice crop in a paddy field on the outskirts of Guwahati, India. Experts warn El Nino may disrupt the global rice market. Photo: AP/File photo
China-EU relations

China, EU pushing ahead on joint research despite trade tensions

Joint 2025-2027 research agreement covers climate and agriculture, state media says, signalling will to collaborate in spite of differences.

Harvesters at work in a rice field in Hangzhou, eastern China. China and the EU are reported to have signed joint research funding agreements to support scientific cooperation in areas such as food, agriculture and biosolutions, as well as climate change and biodiversity. Photo: Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

Brazil widens lead over US in China’s soybean market despite Trump-Xi deal

China’s Brazilian soybean imports up 13.7 per cent in June compared to a year earlier; US figures fell 20.6 per cent over the same period.

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India

Dry, wet, dry again: India’s monsoon swings threaten crops, power supply

India’s fifth-driest June on record was followed by a sudden deluge that dumped about a month’s worth of rain in a single week.

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