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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.
The Dzungarian Alatau mountain range in Kazakhstan. Photo: Central Asia
Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region.

China economy

Opinion | Why China’s persistently low inflation is not all bad news

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Food and Drinks

Exclusive | Hong Kong chef wins Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ first Champions of Change Award

Maxim’s

Video | Customer finds tooth in loaf of bread

A customer posted the discovery on social media and filed a complaint with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

A customer posted the discovery on social media and filed a complaint with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
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US-China trade war

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

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Tourism

Taste Sweden’s delicious ‘blue food’ fresh from the sea on boat tours

From oysters and mussels to superfood seaweed, Sweden’s west coast is a treasure trove of ‘blue food’ – sustainable aquatic produce.

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United States

ByHeart baby formula botulism likely linked to contaminated milk powder: FDA

FDA testing found the type of bacteria that could cause the illness in two samples used to make ByHeart’s baby milk powder.

Ashaan Carter lies on his mother at a Portland children’s hospital during his treatment for infant botulism in November 2025 after drinking ByHeart baby formula donated to vulnerable families. Photo: AP
China trade

Vietnam grabs bigger slice of China’s durian market as Thailand loses ground

Vietnam’s exports of the pungent fruit to China rose by US$500 million in 2025 as the country emerges as a serious rival to Thailand.

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China food security

Rooted in resilience: how China’s seed push has planted agricultural ‘chips’

Domestic varieties claiming bigger market shares for key crops and livestock, curbing reliance on foreign sources for vital food production.

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Brazil

Brazil beef exports seen as stable in 2026 as industry pivots beyond China

Beef lobby Abiec said volumes not sold to China could be redirected other markets.

A butcher weighs meat at a butcher shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2024. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

The alligator weed can proliferate even from fragments. Photo: Conservation Auckland
Malaysia

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | What a Chinese hero’s fatal love of raw fish warns us about uncooked food

The recent sale of the most expensive tuna in Tokyo reflects sushi’s popularity, but an episode in Chinese history shows raw food’s dangers.

Singapore

Can Singapore’s farming future grow in Malaysia’s US$123 million food hub?

The city state’s farmers eye the Johor-Singapore SEZ for cheaper land and labour to boost food security amid high local costs.

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A vertical smart farm in Singapore. Photo: Hyundai Motor Group
Trending in China

‘Hold on tight’: China woman wins 22 pig-catching contests, biggest hog weighs 73kg

31-year-old who excelled at tug of war, shot-put in her youth is top exponent of pinning down swine; says technique relies on speed.

A woman in rural China has won 22 pigs in 26 pig-catching contests over the past year, the heaviest of them weighing in at 73kg. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Science

China creates world’s first clone-hybrid rice that could double global output

Team developed 6 apomictic rice varieties tested over multiple generations in Hainan and Zhejiang provinces.

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Food and Drinks

Why crab is now fine dining’s ultimate luxury ingredient

American chefs are embracing this delicacy, used in omakase in New York and crab rice in San Francisco, as prices soar to over US$2,000 for a king crab.

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US-China relations

China buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans as 2025 closes

Beijing has moved to reduce tariffs on the crop and lifted import bans on three US exporters after talks between Xi and Trump.

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A combine harvests a soybean field in Tracy, Minnesota, in October. Photo: TNS
China trade

China imposes beef-import quota, adds over-quota tariffs to guard local industry

From Thursday, over-quota imports from Brazil, Australia, US and other trade partners face new duties to help local producers recover amid price declines.

Malaysia

‘It’s cheap and worth it’: Malaysia’s durian glut triggers ‘happy hour’ frenzy

Bumper harvests prompt traders to offer rock-bottom prices as locals and tourists grab time-based deals on the spiky fruit.

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Mainland China

Video | China creates ‘bone-free’ fish for easier eating

The breakthrough comes from a six-year research programme using gene-editing technology to remove intermuscular bones from gibel carp.

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China consumption

Wild goose chase? France works to rouse China’s appetite for foie gras imports

French producers hope their famed pate can win a slice of China’s market, but price sensitivities and domestic competition could mean their goose is cooked.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China trade war

China reportedly sticking to its soybean deal with US, but worries remain

Beijing secures 7 million tonnes of soybeans, passing halfway mark of its US purchase agreement. However, little has been shipped so far.

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Blockchain

Video | How a Shanghai start-up is digitalising Chinese tea

Safety, verification and trust behind start-up company Teakan Technology’s goal to make traditional Chinese tea digitally traceable.

China trade

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

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A local vendor sells durians at a stall near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Several Southeast Asian nations including Cambodia export the fruit to China, which is the world’s largest buyer by far. Photo: AP
China food security

Explainer | What does future hold for Brazil, US in China’s soybean balancing act?

The two countries remain top suppliers, but efforts to promote self-sufficiency are set to reduce reliance on imports.

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Soybeans are loaded into a truck in Dwight, Illinois, in August. Photo: Getty Images
Indonesia

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

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China-EU relations

China slaps anti-dumping duties on EU pork, but lowers final rates

Beijing goes ahead with tariffs of up to 19.8 per cent on pork products from the European Union after intense lobbying by several leaders.

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