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Food and agriculture

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying navigation satellites blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on September 19. Photo: Getty Images

China considering space facility location based on security in times of war

Advantages of coastal operation outweighed by ‘strategic hinterland’ policy in preferred site for massive commercial space facility.

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Governments must stop funding cruel octopus farms, campaigners say

Indonesia’s palm oil farmers fear higher costs after EU deforestation law delay

12 more Hong Kong patients found to have infection linked to freshwater fish

Five men and seven women, aged between 49 and 97, test positive for ST 283 strain of potentially deadly Group B Streptococcus infection.

The Centre for Health Protection has urged people to wear gloves and pay attention when handling raw freshwater fish. Photo: Jelly Tse

Editorial | Deal on monitoring Japan’s Fukushima water best way forward

Hong Kong to follow up agreement between Beijing and Tokyo over nuclear plant discharges that brought seafood ban.

Farmers have a bone to pick with South Korea over dog meat ban as anger grows

Stakeholders argue the government’s compensation and transition plans are unrealistic amid calls for concrete exit strategies.

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Hong Kong’s Vitasoy sees young talent as key ingredient in sustainability push

“We are at the beginning of the journey and we need help,” CEO Roberto Guidetti says as company works on climate-transition goals.

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Vitasoy CEO Roberto Guidetti, photographed in the South China Morning Post office in Causeway Bay on September 24, 2024. Photo: Nathan Tsui

US bans Chinese steel, food-additives firms over Xinjiang human rights

Latest additions to Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act’s entity list show American drive to rid its supply chain of forced labour presses on.

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Swine fever sweeps Italy’s north, threatens production of prized prosciutto

Italy has killed nearly 120,000 pigs since January 2022 when swine fever appeared in the country.

Award-winning winemakers in Ningxia, China, battle falling sales

With wine consumption down in China, winemakers in Ningxia look to export more, and create new products to meet consumers’ changing tastes.

Lu Yongliang from the Helan Hong Winery, Ningxia, China, at the Hofex food and hospitality trade show in Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

English sparkling wine on a roll as Champagne house opens UK vineyard

Taittinger opening winery in southeast England shows impact of climate change – bad for French winemaking but good for British grape growing.

Wine is handed out at Domaine Evremond, French champagne house Taittinger’s new vineyard in Kent, in the UK. Photo: AFP

Will Malaysian renewal of durian trademark cause a stink in China or help sales?

The price of a single Musang King durian from Malaysia can surpass US$80 in China, and new protections could make them even more costly.

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South Korea dangles US$75 million in incentives to get rid of dog meat for good

Farmers can also get up to US$452 for each dog they surrender, a subsidy decried as insufficient by industry groups.

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Malaysia faces call to cut palm oil windfall tax as pressures on producers mount

With Malaysian palm oil producers facing price pressures, the finance ministry may consider trimming the windfall tax levied on the sector.

A worker harvests palm oil fruits in Johor, Malaysia. Photo: Bloomberg

Baobab fruit is a new superfood. Yet its harvesters live in poverty

Demand for baobab fruit, which is full of healthy properties, is growing worldwide, but their harvesters barely scratch a living.

The sun rises behind a baobab tree in the Save Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe. Photo: AP

1 more death, 30 new Hong Kong cases tied to outbreak of fish-linked infection

More patients have tested positive for ST283 strain after being admitted to hospital with Group B Streptococcus infections.

Hong Kong to seek more information before any easing of Japan seafood import ban

Beijing earlier said it had agreed to ‘gradually resume’ imports of Japanese seafood following rounds of talks between the two countries.

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Forest-based food, grass-fed livestock, deep-sea aquaculture on China’s menu

State Council directive seeks to diversity China’s food supply system by 2027 to increase self-reliance.

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A fishermen in the coastal aquaculture area of ​​Lianyun District, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu province. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

How innovative women are producing some of the best Chinese wines

Many of China’s best wine producers are women-led, while female influencers, bar owners and consumers are all helping the industry flourish.

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South Korean kimchi under pressure as heatwave drives up cabbage prices

Rising summer temperatures are destabilising supply of cabbage, a key ingredient of kimchi that many Koreans eat every day.

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Hong Kong freshwater fish farms log 30% drop in business amid infection fears

Group B Streptococcus cases linked to raw freshwater fish prompt some diners to change habits, as local suppliers worry over business impact.

A fish farm in Hong Kong’s Mai Po. Health authorities are also in contact with officials in mainland China about the outbreak. Photo: Eugene Lee

Chinese diet shift to more meat to cost US$14 billion in health spending: study

Scientists say amid China’s healthcare system development and reform, ‘transitioning to a plant-based diet will be crucial’.

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Chinese researchers say the increased investment in healthcare as a result of dietary burden hinders “the economic progress of the country and its residents toward affluence”. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Yoshinoya to grow ostrich rice bowl sales by selling more ostrich skincare

Fast food chain’s skincare subsidiary farms ostriches for beauty products, while it uses their meat. Yoshinoya aims to expand sales of both.

Syngenta targets expansion in China to help boost food security, sustainability

Company aims to expand service centre network to 1,000 by 2028 from around 600 currently in an effort to educate more farmers.

Hop springs eternal with vital beer ingredient being grown indoors

A global shortage of hops, which provide beer with its bitter, fruity flavour, could be solved with breakthroughs in indoor growing methods.

A global shortage of hops, which provide beer with its bitter, fruity flavour, could be solved with breakthroughs in indoor growing methods. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysian farmers dial down durian bitterness to cater to China’s sweet tooth

Purists fear the Musang King’s signature bittersweet balance may be at risk as some growers adapt its taste for the Chinese market.

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing tastes durian at a market in Melaka, Malaysia. Photo: Instagram/bingbing_fan

13 more Hong Kong patients found with potentially deadly fish-linked infection

Patients with Group B Streptococcus found to have same ST283 strain as 27 earlier cases, Centre for Health Protection says.

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China’s fading hunger for grain spells trouble for world farmers

Warehouses across China are bulging with grain amid a deepening economic crisis, reducing imports and straining the world’s farmers.

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Food and agriculture
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on food and agriculture, with a focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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