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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.
A worker sorts eggs at a poultry farm in California. The cost of eggs in the US has skyrocketed due to multiple bird flu outbreaks. Photo: EPA-EFE
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

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Malaysia

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

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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Beijing is considering a plan to use the Tibetan Plateau to grow food for China in a future global climate crisis. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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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China trade

‘Just drink it’: Malaysia banks on healthier palm oil to revive Chinese market

China’s imports of Malaysian palm oil have declined for years, with shipments of 1.39 million tonnes last year, 21 per cent less than in 2022.

A worker collects palm oil fruit at a palm oil factory in Sepang, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
United States

US asks Denmark for eggs as prices soar: how many can you send?

The request comes amid demands from Trump that Denmark hand over Greenland, as well as new tariffs on the EU and other countries.

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A customer shops for eggs at a grocery store in Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
China trade

After 43 years building a better cow, China signs first export deal with Laos

China’s proprietary Huaxi cattle, the culmination of meticulous breeding to produce optimal growth and high-quality meat, is entering the global value chain.

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Science

Why is China quietly helping Africa build a Great Green Wall across the Sahara?

‘This battle can be won’: desert expert reveals how China’s technology, funding and strategies aid ambitious environmental project.

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China food security

China develops new high-protein corn to replace foreign soybeans

The new varieties could be used as a substitute for soybeans in animal feed, reducing China’s grain imports by millions of tonnes.

Chinese scientists have developed new high-protein corn varieties that could be used to replace imported soybeans as ingredients in animal feed. Photo: AFP
Conservation

Opinion | USAID cut could have a silver lining for Southeast Asian ecosystems

While reduced aid harms conservation efforts, the region’s stakeholders have a chance to consider more effective self-sufficient approaches.

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A Bornean orangutan carries her child at a rehabilitation centre in Sepilok, Malaysia, on August 17, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

‘Those days are gone’: age of cheap palm oil ends amid Indonesia’s biofuel push

Jakarta’s push to use more palm oil for biodiesel production coincides with a slowdown in plantation growth in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

Asean

Opinion | US eggs crisis an opportunity for Asean to crack the American market

Agriculturally, Southeast Asia is a sleeping giant. If the region meets US requirements, it could position itself as a viable, long-term supplier.

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Donald Trump

Trump says he may hit Canada with dairy and timber tariffs ‘as early as today’

The US president complained about high Canadian duties on the products and threatened reciprocal tariffs.

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US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan

Video | Taiwan bounty hunters kill invasive iguanas

Taiwan began culling iguanas nearly 10 years ago with the 2025 target set at more than 100,000  

Donald Trump

Trump weighs agriculture carveouts to Canada, Mexico tariffs

The US president has already announced a one-month delay for vehicle imports, just a day after the tariffs went into effect.

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Mainland China

Hong Kong still among world’s top wealth hubs, according to Knight Frank report

There were an estimated 42,715 high-net-worth individuals in Hong Kong last year, making up around 0.6 per cent of the city’s population.

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A view of Kowloon, looking across Victoria Harbour. Photo: Elson Li
Japan

‘People are angry’: Japan braces for a new unknown – prolonged inflation

A country that suffered from deflation for decades is now experiencing a sustained rise in prices of basic items ranging from rice to soap.

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Two women sit in a restaurant at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Consumers

China’s consumers go bananas for blueberries even as broader sentiment lags

Though consumer sentiment in China has been tepid, small, satisfying buys like blueberries are still highly sought in the market.

Food and Drinks

How hyperlocal practices are transforming Hong Kong’s fine dining scene

As the city’s restaurants delve deeper into sustainable practices, hyperlocal ingredients are helping to reduce footprints while creating incredible new dishes.

China food security

China hits brakes on rural land reform in major policy release

Urbanites are now explicitly banned from buying up rural homes, as the government prioritises social stability.

China has banned urban residents from buying up rural homes, as the government seeks to ensure migrant workers maintain a safety net amid a period of economic turbulence. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

How the US makes billions selling gristly chicken feet to China

Chicken feet are regarded as waste in most countries, but in China they are a beloved delicacy – and a lucrative import category.

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Steamed chicken feet are a classic dim sum dish in China. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and Drinks

CY Leung says Hong Kong should help Qinghai products reach global marketplace

Leung says Hong Kong, with its testing and trading capacities, should help mainland Chinese products enter the global marketplace.

Science

Chinese team develops strain of rice that may help cut the risk of heart disease

Scientists gene-edited rice and wheat to produce coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 – an antioxidant used to help treat heart condition symptoms.

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