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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 trade of soybeans is among the most contentious battlefields in the US-China tariff war. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

China is weaning itself off US soybeans as decade-long outlook comes into view

The days of China relying on America for soybeans could be numbered as agricultural ministry outlook report for next decade puts onus on self-sufficiency.

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Wealth management

Smell of success: fresh Malaysian durians are taking bite out of China’s market

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Durians in China

China’s durian determination yields golden home-grown bounty in Hainan

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Donald Trump

Trump says he wants to give money, plane tickets to migrants who ‘self-deport’

The US president also said he wants to work to get ‘good’ immigrants back in the United States.

US President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China trade war

China, Brazil to discuss farm exports amid US tariff escalation with Beijing

Agriculture officials from the nations gather as US-China tariff wars prioritise Beijing’s need for alternative sources of soybean and beef.

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Malaysia

Malaysian durian farmers prickly over claims of encroachment on state land

The confrontation came to a head when a lawmaker was arrested for preventing the felling of trees in a key durian-growing state.

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Food and Drinks

The Hong Kong eggs chefs are using to ‘create a more inclusive society’

Hong Kong charity Rén’s new scheme sees locally sourced eggs being used in delicious dishes while helping those with disabilities find work.

Ratatouille at CulinArt 1862. Photo: Dickson Lee
Food and Drinks

Foie gras without cruel force-feeding but tastes the same? Scientists do it

A research team says its alternative foie-gras-like pâté made without painful force-feeding is indistinguishable from the regular product.

Asia travel

Expo 2025 side trip: the Japanese island where onions reign supreme

Overlooking Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, Awaji Island’s soil, rich in volcanic and oceanic minerals, produces exquisite produce – including onions.

China food security

China sees ‘strong agriculture’ in its future with rural modernisation plans

By 2035, China will have ‘basically achieved’ agricultural modernisation, and rural residents will have ‘basically met modern living conditions’, Beijing’s new plan says.

Rural Chinese residents mark the start of spring farming last month in the Tibet autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua
China food security

Opinion | How China and Laos are taking the food security bull by the horns

The cattle crossbreeding agreement between Beijing and Vientiane is an example of cooperation that could benefit the region.

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A view of a beef cattle market in Tongliao city in Inner Mongolia, China, on March 6. Although China is the world’s largest meat producer, it is also the biggest importer. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Farmers backed Trump’s re-election. Now they feel the sting of his tariffs

With all trading partners now targeted, ‘anxious’ growers are likely to have a harder time finding new markets.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s plan for port fees on Chinese-made ships won’t save US shipyards

Instead, US exporters and smaller ports would face collapse even as higher costs force trade away and erode American economic interests in the long run.

Hong Kong

This week in PostMag: China’s salt capital and a Mekong cruise

Christopher St. Cavish talks China’s ‘salt capital’, David Swanson leads us down a river cruise and Bibek Bhandari remembers 2000s-era Beijing.

The Shenhai Salt Well, in Zigong, Sichuan province, on this week’s PostMag print cover. Photo: Graeme Kennedy
US-China trade war

China contends ‘key pillar’ agriculture is off-limits in US trade war

Party mouthpiece warns against mutually destructive trade practices, says US and China are ‘natural partners in agriculture’.

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Farmers harvest soybeans in the US state of Illinois. Photo: EPA-EFE
Pakistan

Opinion | How tech innovation can bolster Pakistan’s relationship with China

Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem is set to flourish and collaboration with China in areas such as agritech and fintech can boost growth and prosperity.

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Hong Kong

Then & Now | Bright side of life reflected in charming resilience of the kapok tree

Bad times come and go, but the kapok blossoms and koel bird songs – a striking staple of Hong Kong in spring – remain.

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India

India’s hotter-than-usual weather may strain power networks, put crops at risk

India is facing an unusually hot April, risking wheat crop damage and straining power grids, with record electricity demand and potential diesel shortages.

An Indian rickshaw puller drinks from a plastic bottle during a hot afternoon in Kolkata, India, on March 27. Photo: EPA-EFE
China food security

Beijing bids adieu to ‘basic’ farmland with plan to supercharge soil

When it’s basic farmland vs ‘well-facilitated’ farmland, the latter considerably outperforms in cost and yield.

South Korea

South Korean eggs arrive in US to combat rising prices

The US is importing hundreds of millions of eggs from countries around the world – not just Korea – after avian flu forced a mass bird cull.

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Laos

In Laos, 1 in 3 children has stunted growth – despite surplus rice

In some poorer areas, stunting is even more prevalent. Experts say a lack of dietary diversity is a big part of the problem.

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Health volunteers screen children for acute malnutrition in a village in Taoy, Saravan, Laos. Photo: Unicef
Malaysia

In Malaysia, one chef’s daily grind preserves Melaka Peranakan food traditions

Sharon Ann De Souza’s mission is to preserve Malacca Peranakan cuisine, by embracing traditional methods in a modern world.

The ubiquitous Peranakan style udang masak lemak nenas, or prawn and pineapple stewed in a delectable coconut curry, paired with a flavour-packed nasi ulam or rice mixed with raw herbs. Photo: Joseph Sipalan
Science

China moots Himalayan ark project to survive climate ‘tipping point’

As the threat of global climate collapse grows, Beijing is considering a plan to turn the Tibetan Plateau into an agricultural stronghold.

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United States

Opinion | Only a global ‘de-risking’ from the US can stop Trump’s trade war

A unified response is essential. Operating independently would only play to Trump’s advantage, and render nations vulnerable to his bullying.

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Climate change

Opinion | Asia is ground zero for the impact of global glacier loss

Other mountain ranges are losing their glaciers faster but Asia’s critically dependent economy and people put it on the front line.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, March 21-23

See street art at HKwalls, try a mash-up of wonton noodles and modern Chinese cuisine, learn how to celebrate your unique essence and more.

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Hong Kong street art festival HKwalls is back for its 10th edition from March 22 to 30, 2025, centred on PMQ in Central district. It’s one of our top five things to see and do in Hong Kong this weekend. Photo: HKwalls
China consumption

Are cheap Indonesian durians about to flood the Chinese market?

Indonesia’s huge fruit industry is preparing to begin exporting durians to China, threatening the dominance of Thai and Vietnamese growers.

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Bird flu viruses

US reports first outbreak of deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017

The virus, which has a high fatality rate in humans, was detected at a Mississippi poultry farm.

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