A farmer operates an agricultural machine to harvest wheat in Neijiang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 8, 2022. A better-than-expected summer grain harvest is expected despite floods that hit wheat fields last fall, officials with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said recently. Photo: cnsphoto

China's exports of agricultural products expanded by 21.7 percent to 303.1 billion yuan ($45.06 billion) in the first half of 2022, according to official data on Wednesday, reflecting China's significant contribution to helping stabilize global food market amid a series of challenges. 

Li Kuiwen, a spokesperson for China's General Administration of Customs (GAC), said at a press briefing that China's exports of major agricultural products all increased in the first six months of the year. 

GAC data showed that export values for aquatic products were up 14.9 percent to 72.52 billion yuan, vegetable and edible mushrooms export value rose by 5.5 percent to 37.79 billion yuan and canned food realized 55 percent growth to 13.75 billion yuan.

Ma Wenfeng, a senior analyst at the Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultancy, told the Global Times on Wednesday that China's food exports were in a leading position in the region and played an important role in helping stabilize global food markets. 

China's vegetables and aquatic products are often exported, while grain is mainly used for domestic demand, Ma said. 

"Global food prices are likely to stay high in the second half of 2022, which may generate profits for Chinese food exporters, so exports will grow," said Ma.

Global grain prices kept surging as fuel and fertilizer prices soared. In the first quarter of 2022, global grain prices were up about 20 percent year-on-year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in April.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said at the end of June that it planned to ensure food security by increasing domestic grain output. 

China's grain output stabilized at more than 1.3 trillion jin (650 million tons) for seven consecutive years, reaching a record high of 1.3657 trillion jin in 2021, achieving basic grain self-sufficiency and food security.

China also secured domestic food supplies by imports. GAC data showed that China imported 272.48 billion yuan worth of grain in the first half of 2022, accounting for 37 percent of all agricultural product imports, up 16.6 percent year-on-year. 

Global Times