Despite another bumper grain harvest, the ninth year of record output in a row, the quality of produce sold to domestic consumers in China continues to be a problem.
The nearly 590 million tonnes of grain produced this year accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's total, according to estimates by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The FAO has also said that China produced 56 per cent of the world's vegetables and melons in 2010.
However, agricultural experts at a forum in Beijing over the weekend said the mainland's best farm produce was exported, because international standards for exported foods were much stricter than domestic ones.
Meanwhile, domestic consumers were often frustrated by low-quality, or even unsafe produce, and growers often had problems selling their produce for decent prices.
Dong Xide, deputy director of Shanxi's agriculture department, said China should abide by international standards and supply the same good quality produce to domestic and foreign consumers.
An item destined for export to Japan had to pass more than 240 tests, he said, while only a handful of tests were conducted if it was to be sold domestically.