Related News
Taste for meat and fish sees soya imports soar
Print Edition
China is the world’s biggest soya consumer, with demand driven by an appetite for meat and fish raised on the product, rather than tofu or soy sauce.
Around 80 percent of China’s annual demand for soybeans — estimated at roughly 70 million tons last year — is crushed into meal to produce oil and feed for farmed animals and fish, analysts estimate.
Only about 20 percent is directly used for food, such as traditional tofu, soy milk or soy sauce.
“The biggest demand is for soy meal, which is mainly used in animal feed,” said Zhang Lanlan, an analyst at Sublime China Information Co.
According to consultancy Beijing Orient Agribusiness, the United States was China’s top soybean supplier in 2012 with 44 percent of imports, closely followed by Brazil on 41 percent, and Argentina in third place with 10 percent.
More than 90 percent of the soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified, according to USDA figures.
Last year, Chinese farmers grew around 12.8 million tons of soybeans, while the country imported 58.38 million tons, up 11.2 percent from 2011, official figures show.
Chinese producers — who are concentrated in the northeast of the country — are barred from using GM seeds, but Beijing allows the import of 11 varieties of GM soybeans. Despite concerns following a series of food safety scandals, there has been scant debate in China over GM foods.
Beijing has long been concerned over the world’s most populous country’s ability to feed itself but it is hugely dependent on imports of foreign soybeans, which account for most of its consumption.
“Imported genetically modified soybeans are safe to eat,” the People’s Daily said recently. “People have no need to worry.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
