Agriculture

Although China's agricultural sector is small in terms of gross domestic product, Chinese agriculture is of great political importance. The Table.media editorial team has all the news on China's agricultural sector. China's agricultural sector in figures China's agricultural sector accounted for around 7.7% of gross domestic product in 2020. Industry accounts for 37.8%, while services are the largest sector at 54.5%. The total area of the People's Republic is 960 million hectares. Of this, 645 million hectares are used for agriculture and forestry. However, only 134 million hectares are considered arable land. Deserts are a major problem in China. At 270 million hectares, they cover around a third of the total area and are spreading. Populated areas and inland waters account for around 45 million hectares, and although nine percent of the world's arable land is in China, 22% of the world's population lives in the People's Republic. Accordingly, the Chinese Communist Party is endeavoring to make agricultural production more efficient. The most important cultivation regions in the Central China Plain, the Northeast China Plain and the Sichuan Basin are of the greatest importance. What do China's agricultural sectors consist of? China's agricultural sectors are divided into traditional agriculture, fishing, forestry, animal breeding and animal husbandry. Of the 134 million hectares of arable land, two thirds are used for grain cultivation. In 2019, this sector of agricultural production harvested 602 million tons. In addition, there are 985 million tons of fruit and vegetables, 109.7 million tons of meat, 65 million tons from China's fisheries and 33 million tons of dairy products. How many people work in China's agricultural sector? Around 230 million workers are employed in China's agricultural sector. That is around thirty percent of all workers in the People's Republic. In comparison, the 7.7% share of gross domestic product is surprisingly low. The number of farmers in China is expected to fall by up to 80 million people by 2030. Who works in China's agricultural sectors? China's agricultural sectors mainly employ rural workers and China's migrant workers. Migrant workers are those who spend more than six months a year working outside their home province. Because many farmers in rural areas are only employed part-time, migrant workers are also those who work in their home province for more than six months a year in non-agricultural jobs. There are a total of 291 million migrant workers in China, who face the problem that their income from agriculture is constantly declining. The rural population now earns significantly less than half of their income from the agricultural sector. Social security is also a problem. There is no pension scheme at all and the healthcare system in agricultural areas is insufficiently developed. What is exported from China's agricultural sector? Exports from China's agricultural sector range from food to building materials. China is the world's largest producer and exporter of fish, 73% of which comes from aquaculture. The country is also the largest exporter of timber and the world's third largest producer of dairy products. Nevertheless, the Chinese agricultural sector plays a negligible role in foreign trade. Exports in 2019 were worth 79 billion US dollars, while imports totaled 151 billion US dollars. In 2020, China had to import a record amount of soy (110.3 million tons), corn (11.3 million tons) and pork (4.4 million tons). Soy was mainly used as animal feed in livestock farming. Following the containment of African swine fever, the number of pigs in China's livestock farming increased enormously, which made imports necessary. Corn is generally scarce and very expensive in China, which is why it is imported cheaply. What is China's strongest agricultural sector? The largest agricultural sectors in China include fruit and vegetables, cereals and oilseeds. At the turn of the millennium, the Communist Party set the goal of increasing agricultural yields by five to ten percent annually in order to supply the population with domestic products. Nevertheless, imports in the agricultural sector are increasing, in some cases massively, and because maximizing self-sufficiency is an important goal of the Chinese government, the People's Republic maintains gigantic stocks. Half of all global wheat stocks, for example, are stored in China. Accordingly, the grain market in China is strictly regulated. What about human rights in the agricultural sector? The disregard for human rights in the Chinese agricultural sector is a constant source of international debate. Cotton producers are particularly affected because of their working conditions, which are regularly accused of forced labor. The suspicion is obvious, as cotton is mainly grown in Xinjiang. The region is considered a hotspot when it comes to human rights, as the Communist Party is taking rigorous action against the Muslim Uyghur minority. What about sustainability in the agricultural sector? China's agricultural sector contributes enormously to environmental pollution. The background to this is the scarcity of land and the resulting intensive use of agricultural land. This leads to massive soil degradation. Due to the comparatively low level of training of agricultural companies, improper and intensive fertilization also occurs. What role does agriculture play in the five-year plan? Agriculture plays a major role in the Communist Party's 14th Five-Year Plan for several reasons. Firstly, the Party wants to increase production in China in order to make the country less dependent on imports. Secondly, it sees the urgency of getting to grips with the growing environmental problems and is aiming for a green development of agriculture by 2025. In addition, there is a national plan for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector by 2030. It aims to abolish subsidies, reduce overcapacity and open up agricultural markets. Among other things, a reformation of price mechanisms is intended to help achieve this. News on China's agricultural sector Agriculture in China plays a central role in key issues such as sustainability, human rights and providing for its own population. The agricultural sector must undergo massive change in these areas in order to be fit for the future. All news on Chinese agriculture is available from the Table.media editorial team.