China food security: Beijing doubles down on domestic soybean push amid self-sufficiency drive

Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua said last week that the northeast provinces will ‘play a crucial role’ in China realising this year’s target to increase soybean planting

China has listed soybean expansion as ‘a major political task to be accomplished’ in 2022, with domestic soybean output expected to rise this year

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China has listed soybean expansion as “a major political task to be accomplished” in 2022, with domestic soybean output expected to rise by 26 per cent to 20.6 million tonnes this year. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:30pm, 9 May 2022

China must use “multiple measures to increase soybean production”, according to Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, in the latest food security push by the central government amid a heightened focus on self-sufficiency.

Beijing has long placed an emphasis on national security, including food and seeds, with the global price turbulence and looming food crisis stemming from the Ukraine war another reminder for China to reduce its reliance on foreign markets for key crops and commodities.

During a two-day tour of China’s Heilongjiang province last week, Hu said that the northeast provinces, which account for 60 per cent of the national soybean production, “play a crucial role” in realising this year’s target to increase planting of the crop.

He urged officials to “speed up recovery and expand soybean planting areas”, while also mentioning increased subsidies and initiatives for farmers to grow more soybeans.

We must take multiple measures to increase soybean production, ensure we achieve the target of expanding plantation and intensify capabilities of self-sufficiency

Increasing supplies and machinery to ensure the targets for spring planting season were achieved were also highlighted by Hu.

Hu also placed an emphasis on strengthening the breeding of high quality soybeans and the application of planting techniques to boost efficiency, according to the official statement of the visit which was released over the weekend.

“We must take multiple measures to increase soybean production, ensure we achieve the target of expanding plantation and intensify capabilities of self-sufficiency,” said Hu, whose portfolio includes agriculture.