China net importer of grain, cotton and oil-sugar full challenge of domestic agricultural production and food security | _ news

　　April imports and exports trade deficit wider than last year before the 40%

Food import surge test "Chinese rice bowls"

Experts recommend we take the initiative, the rational use of both international and domestic markets

-Reporter Lin Yuan Bai Tiantian trainee reports Beijing, Changsha Wei Xiaochuan

Summer harvest well underway, swift progress has been 70% the country, bumper harvest is expected. However, according to the economic information newspaper access to the latest data from the Department of Agriculture's agricultural trade facilitation centres, April 2014 years ago, China's agricultural trade deficit of US $ 21.24 billion, an increase of 40%, including the major staple food grain-importing of 6.66 million tons, an increase of 86%. Experts say that, with the 2011 net exporter into a net importer of rice, cotton, oil net importer of sugar and other primary agricultural commodities renders comprehensive, and judging from the data import and export of agricultural products in April from a year earlier in 2014, this trend will continue to strengthen directly pose a huge challenge to domestic agricultural production and food security.

"China must firmly end their jobs any time in their hands, our job should be primarily Chinese food. "Last December, the central economic work Conference, the central rural work Conference, and the subsequent release of the central document first, would ensure food security in a very important position and surge in grain imports are a test of" Chinese people's rice bowls ".

Data show that imports of agricultural products by 2013 although growth slowdown two years earlier, but remained close to 6% growth rate, according to net imports and output estimates, 2013, China's grain, cotton and oil products imports of sugar equivalent to the output of more than 800 million mu of cultivated land acreage, 5 times more than 2000 times.

Chronic deficits and import and export trade of agricultural products in China at the same time, some developed countries have been w TO agriculture negotiations to try to further raise the level of China's agricultural market opening.

Early harvest agreement reached in Bali in late 2013, w TO make the Doha development agenda has become a hot topic, the parties put forward a variety of views on how to advance the negotiations. Reporters from the Centre for trade and sustainable development at a seminar held recently was informed that some developed countries put forward the "contribution of emerging economies" for emerging developing countries such as China to contribute more in the negotiations to lower import tariffs on agricultural products, increased import quotas.

It is understood that, since entering the WTO, China's agricultural imports average annual growth rates of up to 23%, doubling every three years, imports increase of $ 107 billion, share of global imports increase of 12% new import market nearly half is held by a few developed countries, almost one-fourth for the United States possessed. At present, China is already the world's countries with the most open agricultural markets, not only the commitment to eliminate all forms of export subsidies, and agricultural products from China's average tariff level is 15.2%, less than the world average of one-fourth. Despite China's wheat, corn, rice, sugar, cotton, wool and other major agricultural products subject to tariff rate quota administration, over quota tariff maximum is only 65%. World agricultural products average tariff level is now 62%, maximum tariff levels and can even reach more than 1000%.

Relevant data show that because of the ample supply of global markets, the main exporter of low production costs, cotton, sugar, rice and other agricultural products in 2013 and domestic products there is a big difference, coupled with China's low tariff levels, which landed an after-tax price is also substantially lower than the domestic prices of agricultural products, even if it is outside the quota customs duty import prices were lower than domestic prices.

Scale of China's agricultural production and the income is still very low, inside and outside price difference of Chinese agricultural products continues to expand, a considerable part of imports were driven by inside and outside price difference, due to the lack of tariff protection, imports caused backlogs on domestic agricultural prices formed a significant crackdown on domestic agricultural development, food security, farmers ' income has become more and more serious impact on employment.

The case of sugar, the national inventory of almost 10 million tons of sugar, imported 4.5 million tons last year, because a lot of imports, Guangxi's sugar price from past 7000 Yuan/ton, now less than 5000 Yuan/ton. The end result is lower sugar cane prices of sugar prices fell, sugarcane price had to down to 475 Yuan from 500 yuan per ton, down to 440 Yuan. The current sugarcane yield calculations, Guangxi's sugarcane farmers annual net revenue losses of 4 billion yuan.

Rice imports, due to imports to maintain a high level of cheap imported rice market is impeded, the price support policy effects greatly reduced, indirectly leading to "overproduction creates." Under the impact of cheap imported rice, rice processing industry in the last year were "gridlocked", Hunan, Jiangxi and other rice mill operating rates low, rice processing balance more and more.

Chief researcher of the Institute of Chinese grain NetEase Sun Zhong says, "take the initiative, the rational use of both international and domestic markets," food-a new concept of security is appropriate needs of existing conditions and socio-economic development in China. Total population in developed countries is much lower than in developing countries, but they have sufficient capital and technological advantages should be in terms of tariff policy, environmental protection, technical input, and give developing countries more support. In the process of global economic integration, only to both developing and developed countries as well as development, in order to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

(Edit: SN010)
01:28 on June 12, 2014 Economic information daily