Can African soybeans help ease China’s reliance on US to feed insatiable demand?

South Africa is latest country on the continent to export the animal feed source to China, the world’s biggest importer of the crop

Observers say the expanding trade will be good for farmers but productivity will need to rise if African grain exports are to grow

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China is expected to import 97 million tonnes of soybeans in 2023-24, with a small but growing proportion of the crop coming from Africa. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:03pm, 18 Nov 2023Updated: 12:25pm, 18 Nov 2023

China is turning to Africa for the soybeans it needs to meet its huge demand for pig feed, as Beijing moves to diversify its global sources of grain away from the US.

South Africa’s first export of soybeans to China left Durban in October, made possible by last year’s signing of a protocol with Beijing granting access to the Chinese market. The size of the shipment was not specified.

According to the South African agriculture department, 18 companies and 162 storage facilities have been approved to export soybeans to China.

“The successful shipment is a testament to the possibilities of growing the cereal and oilseed sector through successful collaboration between the government and private sector,” Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza told the South African press.

The new trade with China – the world’s biggest consumer and importer of soybeans – would help to generate foreign earnings for South Africa’s farmers, especially in the rural economy, he said.

China has the world’s largest number of pigs – more than 450 million, as of April – producing about 50 million tonnes of pork each year. Soybeans are processed into a variety of food products, but they are also used to make swine feed.