Home GRASP GRASP/China China will import American rice for the first time

China will import American rice for the first time

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The U. S. has inked a deal to sell rice to China for the first time ever.
China will import American rice for the first time after a new trade deal was agreed to Thursday.
“The agreement with China has been in the works for more than a decade and I’m pleased to see it finally come to fruition, especially knowing how greatly it will benefit our growers and industry, ” said U. S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a statement.
China produces 20 times more rice than the U. S., but it’s also the world’s biggest consumer. Recently it has been buying more rice abroad, spending way over $1 billion in some years, to feed its population.
Last year, China imported about 5 million tons, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) .
The U. S. alone couldn’t satisfy that demand. America exports between 3 million and 4 million tons a year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Related: Why is China buying the world’s seeds?
China was once largely able to feed itself, especially with rice. But it’s been relying more on imports in recent years, said Rob Bailey, an expert in food security at Chatham House, a policy institute in London.
Rising food imports partly reflect challenges in Chinese agriculture. The rural population is aging, crop yields are low and there are high levels of soil depletion.

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