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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.
People shop at a Wellcome supermarket in Causeway Bay. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong property

DFI Retail Group says it will continue to invest in Hong Kong supermarkets

Owner of Wellcome, Market Place, 3hreesixty and Oliver’s chains operates a network of more than 325 stores.

China food security

How crayfish raised in desert are nipping away at China’s food security fears

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Science

US, China botanists sign landmark proposal on cooperation and projects

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Science

Crop outputs grew up to 100% in China’s big agricultural experiment: scientists

Peking University scientist says solar-activated mineral water improves photosynthetic efficiency across major crops.

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Chinese researchers say their crop trials may offer alternative ways of increasing yields by using irrigation water to improve how efficiently plants use sunlight. Photo: Lu Anhuai
India

India’s brutal monsoon plays havoc with harvests, raising fears of slow spending

Consumption typically takes a hit when rainfall is deficient, as weaker harvests mean less cash in farmers’ pockets.

China-Latin America relations

Brazil’s beef exporters hit a wall in China as 55% tariff kicks in

Surtax on its largest market alarms the industry, which is already locked out of the EU and facing higher US duties.

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China food security

China to further boost domestic grain supply as US soybeans excluded from tariff cuts

Grain production target set at 725 million tonnes by 2030, as China proposes tariff cuts on US agricultural products – but not soybeans.

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Villagers harvest rice in southwest China’s Yunnan province. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

Shoppers rejoice, farmers fume as Japan’s rice crisis turns into a surplus

‘I’ve been hearing about quite a few people who plan to give up this year,’ a rice grower says amid excess supply and falling prices.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian revolution powered by perfumes, pastries and big plans

Last year, China imported 1.87 million tonnes of fresh durian worth US$7.5 billion, with volume jumping over sixfold in the past decade.

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Mainland China

China’s sulphur imports dive 65% as prices surge 3.5 times

Country pays more for less of the key fertiliser ingredient, potentially pressuring the spring planting season, analyst says.

Workers load sulphur at a storage yard on a wharf in Nanjing, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, on April 14, 2026. Photo: AFP
China food security

Weathering the storm: can China’s grain reserves defend against El Nino?

As climate shocks and supply chain disruptions push global food prices higher, Beijing believes it has the tools to fend off rising risks.

China’s summer grain harvest exceeded 150 million tonnes for the first time this year. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Risk of unrest in Asia as Iran war, El Nino threaten food supplies

Over half of countries at high risk on Verisk Maplecroft’s Food Security Index also sit at the top of its predictive Civil Unrest Index.

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Bhutan

Why Bhutan’s subsistence farmers are swapping potatoes for hazelnuts

It takes years for trees to yield, but growers say stopping mudslides and landing better prices makes the long wait worth it.

United States

US declares end to lettuce parasite outbreak that killed 2

Nearly 13,000 people fell ill across 21 states in the nation’s largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Lettuce is displayed for sale at a grocery store in the US earlier this year. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

US says China ‘on track’ to fulfil farm purchases ahead of Xi’s Washington visit

Trump administration trade official says ‘China is ramping up their purchases’ and business is progressing well between two countries.

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A farmer harvests a soybean plot in Colt, Arkansas. China has met its commitment to buy US soybeans in the 2025 season, a Trump administration trade official says. Photo: Handout
China food security

Why China’s sugar stockpiles may blunt an El Nino-fuelled global supply crunch

The major sugar importer is expected to lean on strong domestic supplies amid soaring international prices.

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Science

Chinese scientists propose turning abandoned coal mines into underground farms

Insulated from surface weather and natural disasters, mining tunnels could offer agricultural advantages amid climate change, scientists say.

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China food security

A potential food crisis threatens the world, but impact on China may be limited

El Nino fears and disruptions to Ukraine’s grain exports are driving up global crop prices, but China’s robust supplies temper the impact.

A harvester operates in a corn field in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong bars, restaurants take on more floor space, boost novelty offerings

More food and beverage outlets ‘incorporating unique experiential elements into the dining journey’, says CBRE’s Lawrence Wan.

Japan

Pufferfish peril: Japan’s deadliest delicacy is getting more dangerous

Rising sea temperatures are pushing pufferfish species together, spawning hybrids that even specialist chefs cannot safely prepare.

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United States

Trump puts pressure on squeezed US oil refiners to ease pump prices

Industry executives were also asked how the US can process more Venezuelan crude.

A cyclist rides past the Chevron Products Company refinery, one of California’s largest petroleum processing facilities, in El Segundo, in April. Photo: AP
Malaysia

As rice output falls, Malaysia looks to China’s ‘2 yields, 1 land’ model

Chinese rice-prawn farms could help boost Malaysia’s farming production as it faces hurdles to meet its rice self-sufficiency goal.

Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu (centre) visits a rice-prawn farm in the city of Wuhu in China’s eastern Anhui province in August. Photo: Facebook/Mohamad Sabu
Indonesia

Orangutan rescued from Borneo fire battles respiratory illness

Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain forest and land fires across six provinces in Borneo and Sumatra.

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

Palm oil is just the start. Indonesia’s new trade exchange also aims to oversee nickel and coal export volumes, prices and taxes.

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Workers transfer palm fruits to a truck before being processed into crude palm oil at a palm plantation in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Science

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

Tailored biological tools could enable crops to quickly develop immunity against emerging viruses, bacteria and fungi, researchers say.

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Chinese researchers say their programmable synthetic immune receptors can be introduced into plants to help them detect proteins made by specific bacteria, viruses and fungi, triggering an immune response. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

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