BEIJING, April 23rd (AMSP/CGTN) – – China’s agricultural sector is off to a steady start in 2026. At a press conference in Beijing on the morning of Thursday, April 23, 2026, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs detailed the rural economic performance for the first quarter.
Food security in China is more than a domestic priority. It’s a global market mover. Officials report a “solid foundation” for this year’s oil and grain crops in the first quarter. Despite heavy rains delaying the sowing season last autumn, intensive technical support has helped crops recover.
“Winter wheat growth is broadly back to seasonal norms. Rapeseed acreage remains stable with healthy growth. Spring planting is over 20 percent complete — on pace with last year. Food staple supplies remain sufficient”, said Maierdan Mugaiti, Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
This year, China’s top agricultural policy document calls for better coordination between domestic production and agricultural trade. “Over 95 percent of cropland uses domestically-bred seeds. Domestic seed market share for livestock, aquaculture, and vegetables exceeds 80, 86, and 91 percent. Chinese grain runs on Chinese seed — and we control our core varieties. We’ll push harder for full seed-sector independence”, revealed Lyu Xiutao, Head of Crop Production Department at the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
As the country moves into its 15th Five-Year Plan period, officials say the focus is shifting toward the deep innovation of technology and industry. The economic ripple effects are visible. In Q1, investment in the primary sector surged nearly 16 percent.
Value-added output from large-scale agri-food processors rose nearly 7 percent year-on-year, with rural tourism continued its rapid expansion.
Meanwhile, rural per capita disposable income grew by nearly 5 percent—outpacing urban growth by over two percentage points.
China’s rural economy is showing resilience—from grain production to rising farmer incomes. Beijing is not just securing food supply. It’s also building a vast modernizing consumer base.
As China kicks off its new Five-Year Plan, rural revitalization is accelerating. That means potentially lower volatility in global agricultural markets and fresh experience for poverty reduction worldwide.
amsp/cgtn-abp
CGTN