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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.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said Canadian exporters sold pea starch at prices undercutting Chinese producers. Photo: Shutterstock
China trade

China-Canada trade thaw sours as Beijing levies penalties for dumping pea starch

Beijing imposes cash deposits on imports of the widely used agricultural product ahead of Ottawa’s decision on Chinese-made steel racks.

The Philippines

‘Purple gold rush’: Philippine ube farming looks to cash in on craze

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China-Africa relations

Coffee, chillies and cashews: a new recipe to rewrite China-Africa trade

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Food and Drinks

1 in 5 coffees sold in Europe contains pesticides: report

The report also warned that the ‘standard reassurance’ given by companies – that residues are destroyed by roasting – is not always true.

Some pesticides used on coffee crops include banned sprays that cause cancer. Photo: dpa
Malaysia

Video | Dirt-cheap ‘durian tsunami’ sweeps Malaysia

The oversupply of premium Musang King durians has caused prices to fall to as low as 9 ringgit (US$2) per kg.

Japan

Video | Japan’s natto beans go global

The long-time breakfast staple in Japan is known as a divisive food that people either love or hate.

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Malaysia

‘Durian tsunami’ sweeps Malaysia, making premium Musang King dirt cheap

‘It feels like a rare chance to enjoy Musang King without paying a bomb,’ a durian lover says.

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Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, China. Photo: Simon Song
Wellness

How many lychees are safe to eat in a day? What TCM says about the fruit

Traditional Chinese medicine experts suggest no more than 10 to 15 lychees a day for adults to avoid excessive ‘yit hei’ or body heat.

China food security

Global farming, Chinese food imports at stake as El Nino threatens drought

Sharpest risks to occur in the Global South, with countries facing conflict and economic stress being the worst hit: United Nations’ FAO.

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Human rights

Opinion | Asia excels at tracking fishing vessels but fails those on board

As demand for sustainable seafood grows, the gap between the ability to monitor vessels and protect workers in the fishing industry must be addressed.

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Workers load flash-frozen fish onto a truck from a longline vessel at the Benoa fishing port near Denpasar, on Indonesia’s Bali island, on March 16, 2025. Photo: AFP
Extreme weather

Asia’s shaky food supply shudders as ‘super’ El Nino arrives

Every few years, the Pacific runs a fever. This year, it could be worse than anything seen for decades, scientists warn.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
US-China relations

Can China-US breadbasket diplomacy sidestep tension over American’s arrest?

Farm-belt officials from both sides meet as US voters consider issues for midterms and Beijing detains US citizen.

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Thailand

Costly Malaysia-Thailand seafood stand-off nears an end

Talks are advancing on resolving the dispute, but every day of delay is costing thousands of Thai shrimp farmers.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong market sample tests positive for H9 bird flu after boy infected

Boy contracts mild strain of virus and Centre for Health Protection says risk of serious outbreak is low.

Wo Che Market in Sha Tin. One sample taken from a metal tray beneath a cage for live chickens used to collect droppings at a shop tested positive for the H9 bird flu virus, the centre said. Photo: Google Maps
Extreme weather

El Nino is back – and it could be ‘one for the history books’

The weather event – which can bring droughts, floods and record temperatures – has officially arrived, and could grow to peak strength.

A firefighter monitors flames caused by the Hughes Fire in California, in January 2025. Scientists fear El Nino will exacerbate the heat of a planet already warming from burning fossil fuels. Photo: AP
Thailand

Once world’s largest, Thai shrimp industry on the edge as Malaysia bans imports

Prices have collapsed and buyers have vanished since Malaysia banned Thai shrimp. Bangkok is now threatening WTO action.

Food and Drinks

The magic of mushrooms, from foraging to fine dining

Taschen’s coffee-table book The Gourmand’s Mushroom looks at how fungi are portrayed in art, literature and music, and explores the health benefits of various species.

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Science

Chinese team injects moss gene into Xinjiang cotton to beat fungus, boost output

Scientists report potential to boost cotton yield by nearly a quarter after inserting stress-resistance gene from a species of steppe moss.

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A team led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography say they genetically modified cotton for resistance to “cotton cancer”. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

How China’s blueberry boom is reaching Southeast Asia on faster trade links

The fruit is heading to Asean markets on the China-Laos Railway, supported by the world’s largest free trade agreement.

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US-China trade war

US farm chief says reliance on China threatens American ‘freedom’

Agriculture secretary’s warning comes as tariffs weigh on China trade and Hormuz disruptions drive up fuel and fertiliser costs.

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Thailand

‘Lowest point’: Thai shrimp industry reels from Malaysia import ban

The ban comes as Thailand’s embattled fisheries sector faces increased competition, tariffs, shrimp disease, rising costs and reduced catch.

Thailand’s shrimp industry has struggled to control disease outbreaks, which hammer harvests and drive down export volumes. Malaysia’s export ban has added to its woes. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

‘I will sell to someone else’: Brazil’s Lula hits back at US after China beef win

The president also branded Rubio a ‘frustrated Latino’ and vowed Brazil would ‘not be treated as an insignificant little republic’ by the US.

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks in Brasília as trade tensions with the US escalate. Photo: Reuters
China food security

China’s new plan to feed 1.4 billion people: AI, gene editing and edible algae

Beijing’s latest agriculture plan focuses on harnessing frontier technologies – from AI and gene editing to alternative food sources.

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China-Latin America relations

China opens door to all Brazilian beef, then slams it with a 55% surtax

Recognition lifts a long-standing sanitary barrier, but an import quota in force since January caps how far Brazilian beef sales can grow.

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China trade

Australian beef will soon be hit by 55% tariff in China, ministry says

China’s imports of Australian beef are about to surpass a quota introduced by Beijing to protect domestic farmers.

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Farmers look at cattle at a weekly livestock sale in New South Wales, Australia. China is a major export market for Australian beef producers. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan runs low on ethylene, putting bananas at risk of disappearing from homes

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has squeezed the supply of the naphtha-derived gas that Japan uses to ripen the fruit.

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Japan bought about 1 million tonnes of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country’s most important grocery staples. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Science

Why China is weaponising a ‘towering’ hybrid crop to farm where wheat fails

The crop, known as triticale, is easier to grow in challenging conditions and can provide food for both humans and animals.

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China consumption

Can social media save the wine industry from irrelevance in China?

China is drinking far less wine than a few years ago. To turn the tide, the industry must work with Chinese influencers, an insider says.

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