China’s provinces target wheat output as nation braces for food security challenges

Emergency notices order local farmers and businesses not to destroy or cut down unripe wheat

World food prices will inevitably skyrocket and a food crisis is inevitable, local government of Anhui province warns

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China has been ramping up efforts to safeguard food security for its 1.4 billion people. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:50pm, 14 May 2022Updated: 7:17pm, 14 May 2022

Several major grain-producing provinces in China have issued emergency notices, ordering farmers and businesses not to destroy or cut down unripe wheat, as the country sounds the alarm about unprecedented challenges to food security this year.

Earlier this week, provincial governments from Hebei in north China to central Henan and Anhui launched region-wide investigations into whether any wheat farmland was being cleared for construction projects, mainland media reports said.

Other provinces said farmers found cutting the grain prematurely to sell as silage for animal feed would be severely punished, online daily The Paper reported on Saturday.

Dairy companies have also been warned to not buy any wheat for feed, or face heavy penalties.

The warnings came after a number of videos on Chinese social media platforms showed farmers cutting immature wheat for sale as silage to livestock companies.

The videos sparked a storm of criticism against the farmers, with China having raised the alarm about risks to its wheat output months ago as it eyes greater self-sufficiency in grain production.