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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.
An employee force-feeds a duck at a farm in New York state in the US. A German-Danish research team has presented a method to produce a foie-gras-like pâté without the painful force-feeding but which tastes the same as if the ducks and geese had been force-fed, they say. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

Foie gras without cruel force-feeding but tastes the same? Scientists do it

A research team says its alternative foie-gras-like pâté made without painful force-feeding is indistinguishable from the regular product.

Asia travel

Expo 2025 side trip: the Japanese island where onions reign supreme

China food security

China sees ‘strong agriculture’ in its future with rural modernisation plans

China food security

Opinion | How China and Laos are taking the food security bull by the horns

The cattle crossbreeding agreement between Beijing and Vientiane is an example of cooperation that could benefit the region.

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A view of a beef cattle market in Tongliao city in Inner Mongolia, China, on March 6. Although China is the world’s largest meat producer, it is also the biggest importer. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Farmers backed Trump’s re-election. Now they feel the sting of his tariffs

With all trading partners now targeted, ‘anxious’ growers are likely to have a harder time finding new markets.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s plan for port fees on Chinese-made ships won’t save US shipyards

Instead, US exporters and smaller ports would face collapse even as higher costs force trade away and erode American economic interests in the long run.

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Hong Kong

This week in PostMag: China’s salt capital and a Mekong cruise

Christopher St. Cavish talks China’s ‘salt capital’, David Swanson leads us down a river cruise and Bibek Bhandari remembers 2000s-era Beijing.

The Shenhai Salt Well, in Zigong, Sichuan province, on this week’s PostMag print cover. Photo: Graeme Kennedy
US-China trade war

China contends ‘key pillar’ agriculture is off-limits in US trade war

Party mouthpiece warns against mutually destructive trade practices, says US and China are ‘natural partners in agriculture’.

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Pakistan

Opinion | How tech innovation can bolster Pakistan’s relationship with China

Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem is set to flourish and collaboration with China in areas such as agritech and fintech can boost growth and prosperity.

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Hong Kong

Then & Now | Bright side of life reflected in charming resilience of the kapok tree

Bad times come and go, but the kapok blossoms and koel bird songs – a striking staple of Hong Kong in spring – remain.

Kapok trees in bloom at Cheung Wah Estate in Fanling. Photo: Eugene Lee
India

India’s hotter-than-usual weather may strain power networks, put crops at risk

India is facing an unusually hot April, risking wheat crop damage and straining power grids, with record electricity demand and potential diesel shortages.

An Indian rickshaw puller drinks from a plastic bottle during a hot afternoon in Kolkata, India, on March 27. Photo: EPA-EFE
China food security

Beijing bids adieu to ‘basic’ farmland with plan to supercharge soil

When it’s basic farmland vs ‘well-facilitated’ farmland, the latter considerably outperforms in cost and yield.

South Korea

South Korean eggs arrive in US to combat rising prices

The US is importing hundreds of millions of eggs from countries around the world – not just Korea – after avian flu forced a mass bird cull.

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Laos

In Laos, 1 in 3 children has stunted growth – despite surplus rice

In some poorer areas, stunting is even more prevalent. Experts say a lack of dietary diversity is a big part of the problem.

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Health volunteers screen children for acute malnutrition in a village in Taoy, Saravan, Laos. Photo: Unicef
Malaysia

In Malaysia, one chef’s daily grind preserves Melaka Peranakan food traditions

Sharon Ann De Souza’s mission is to preserve Malacca Peranakan cuisine, by embracing traditional methods in a modern world.

The ubiquitous Peranakan style udang masak lemak nenas, or prawn and pineapple stewed in a delectable coconut curry, paired with a flavour-packed nasi ulam or rice mixed with raw herbs. Photo: Joseph Sipalan
Science

China moots Himalayan ark project to survive climate ‘tipping point’

As the threat of global climate collapse grows, Beijing is considering a plan to turn the Tibetan Plateau into an agricultural stronghold.

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United States

Opinion | Only a global ‘de-risking’ from the US can stop Trump’s trade war

A unified response is essential. Operating independently would only play to Trump’s advantage, and render nations vulnerable to his bullying.

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Climate change

Opinion | Asia is ground zero for the impact of global glacier loss

Other mountain ranges are losing their glaciers faster but Asia’s critically dependent economy and people put it on the front line.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, March 21-23

See street art at HKwalls, try a mash-up of wonton noodles and modern Chinese cuisine, learn how to celebrate your unique essence and more.

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China consumption

Are cheap Indonesian durians about to flood the Chinese market?

Indonesia’s huge fruit industry is preparing to begin exporting durians to China, threatening the dominance of Thai and Vietnamese growers.

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Bird flu viruses

US reports first outbreak of deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017

The virus, which has a high fatality rate in humans, was detected at a Mississippi poultry farm.

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The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the world. Photo: EPA-EFE
China trade

‘Just drink it’: Malaysia banks on healthier palm oil to revive Chinese market

China’s imports of Malaysian palm oil have declined for years, with shipments of 1.39 million tonnes last year, 21 per cent less than in 2022.

A worker collects palm oil fruit at a palm oil factory in Sepang, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
United States

US asks Denmark for eggs as prices soar: how many can you send?

The request comes amid demands from Trump that Denmark hand over Greenland, as well as new tariffs on the EU and other countries.

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China trade

After 43 years building a better cow, China signs first export deal with Laos

China’s proprietary Huaxi cattle, the culmination of meticulous breeding to produce optimal growth and high-quality meat, is entering the global value chain.

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Science

Why is China quietly helping Africa build a Great Green Wall across the Sahara?

‘This battle can be won’: desert expert reveals how China’s technology, funding and strategies aid ambitious environmental project.

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Africa’s Great Green Wall project, which features input and funding from China, is promoted in southeastern Niger. Photo: Weibo
China food security

China develops new high-protein corn to replace foreign soybeans

The new varieties could be used as a substitute for soybeans in animal feed, reducing China’s grain imports by millions of tonnes.

Chinese scientists have developed new high-protein corn varieties that could be used to replace imported soybeans as ingredients in animal feed. Photo: AFP
Conservation

Opinion | USAID cut could have a silver lining for Southeast Asian ecosystems

While reduced aid harms conservation efforts, the region’s stakeholders have a chance to consider more effective self-sufficient approaches.

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Indonesia

‘Those days are gone’: age of cheap palm oil ends amid Indonesia’s biofuel push

Jakarta’s push to use more palm oil for biodiesel production coincides with a slowdown in plantation growth in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

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