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Food and agriculture

Food and agriculture
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on food and agriculture, with a focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
Malaysian air force personnel start the cloud seeding process during a flight over Kedah state in 2019. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia resorts to cloud seeding to save rice crop from drought

With farmers facing arid brown fields that should be flooded, Malaysia’s prime minister announced cloud-seeding operations to trigger rain.

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India

Can India’s rice farmers reap from US$30 million Amazon carbon credit deal?

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China economy

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

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China-Latin America relations

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

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A BYD vehicle is seen on the production line at the Chinese company’s new electric-vehicle factory in Brazil in October 2025. Photo: Reuters
Science

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

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US-China trade war

Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, experts say

Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers.

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Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

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A farm worker sprays fertiliser on a paddy field at Sabak Bernam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 1. Conflict in the Middle East has driven up prices of energy, fertiliser and food production. Photo: EPA
Japan

Avocados push out citrus fruits as Japan warms up from climate change

Global warming is expected to expand areas suitable for ‘sensitive’ avocados in Japan 2.5-fold or more by the middle of the century.

China food security

How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence

China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.

US-China relations

Opinion | How US tech hegemony is locking out the Global South

The world deserves better than a monopoly that builds walls and hobbles development.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China food security

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

Farmers in Hebi, Henan province, water newly sown corn in June 2024 after an El Nino event that lasted around a year. Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
China trade

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

A new cold-storage rail service is whisking mountains of durians from Thailand to China, reducing prices for the prized fruit.

Thailand

‘Destroying the world’s kitchen’: the poisoning of the Mekong River

Many millions depend on the river but toxic run-off from mining for modern technology - including for war - could be an existential threat.

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Thailand

Thai influencer sells premium durians for dirt cheap to save national ‘pride’

Weaker Chinese demand and growing competition from Vietnam and Malaysia threaten one of Thailand’s most valuable agricultural exports.

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Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun (left) presents a durian to influencer Pimradaporn Benjawattanapat. Photo: Facebook/MOCThailand
Food and Drinks

Beyond steak: 3 Hong Kong chefs share dry-ageing tips for fish, lamb, poultry

Dry-ageing isn’t reserved for beef only – chefs from Fireside, Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei and Tori Jukusei offer techniques for home cooks.

Fireside’s fridges for dry-ageing meat and fish in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Outside In | The Iran war is brewing a food crisis we must avert

The world’s focus has been on energy shortages but famine and widening food insecurity are faces of the same coin.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Food and Drinks

The soy sauce artisans making the Chinese condiment with a dash of attitude

Two craft soy sauce makers in Sweden and Australia are turning away from ‘boring’ mass production methods to make the condiment in new ways.

Handcrafted soy sauce from Sweden-based producer Ramona Lee, aka the Soy Sauce Lady. She and Australia-based Mike Fung of Cinwaan Soy Sauce are producing the ancient Chinese condiment in exciting new ways. Photo: Ramona Lee
US, Israel war on Iran

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Food and Drinks

How asparagus benefits your health – and the different ways to cook it

Chefs share their tips, from simple grilling to fermenting, highlighting the vegetable’s versatility and seasonal appeal … but why does it make your urine smell?

China food security

‘Sharp swings’: why China is warning of food security risks despite bumper crops

The country has ample grain supplies but could still face challenges if extreme weather or global conflict spark global shortages, Beijing says.

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A worker sorts imported soybeans at a processing company in Binzhou, China, on March 6, 2025. Photo: Getty Images
Australia

Australian farmers relieved after Indonesia agrees to supply fertiliser

The deal makes up 20 per cent of fertiliser needs for the planting season in Australia, a major supplier of food to Southeast Asia.

A seeder sows wheat at a farm in Bencubbin, Australia. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summit

‘Won’t back down’: Greer seeks more funding for Trump’s trade wars

US trade chief says more resources needed to expand trade probes and counter China, warning farmers remain exposed ahead of Beijing summit.

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Food and Drinks

Want an authentic farm-to-table experience in Hong Kong? Here’s one

A weekend event in rural Hong Kong teaches guests the true meaning of sustainability through mindful activities and delicious seasonal food.

Hong Kong environmental issues

Letters | Multi-storey pig farm? Not in Hong Kong please

Readers discuss the government’s plan for a multi-storey pig farm, Discovery Bay transport, and English teachers.

A multi-storey pig farm in Ezhou city, Hubei province in 2023. Photo: Xinhua
European Union

Ireland police remove farmers, blockades protesting against fuel price rises

The protests have led to blockades at Ireland’s only oil refinery and prevented tanker trucks from delivering fuel to petrol stations.

Tractors block O’Connell Street on the fifth day of the National Fuel Protest, in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s ‘panicked farmers’ brace for a looming rice crisis post-Iran war

Shortages of imported fertilisers and fuel could not have come at a worse time for many Southeast Asian rice farmers.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

High fertiliser prices mean more soybeans for farmers – and greater reliance on China

Analysts question the cost of China deploying ‘fertiliser diplomacy’ and boosting soybean purchases ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

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