Ag consumption in China back on world map with new plan

Ag consumption in China back on world map with new plan

China on July 27, 2025 unveiled a consumer-oriented consumption vision for Ag products, including quality fresh greens from sustainable sources.

Regarding the plan, the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs intends to bridge consumer needs across many levels, Reuters reported. 

The ministry will achieve this goal through produce quality improvements, food safety emphasis and eco-friendliness. 

More poignantly, the government will meet “multi-level consumer needs” through the provision of specialty, non-GMO and sustainable produce. 

The country already boasts rising income levels that can help purchase quality organic foods, which the government will make available. 

Notably, farmers will reap the consumption vision since their premium produce will readily sell at good prices

Also in the mix is cutting agricultural emissions via the country’s 2030 “peak carbon” and the 2060 “neutral carbon” plans.   

Receding Global Consumption Share

The plan further fits globally from the fact that it could redeem China’s lowering image as a leading consumer nation. 

On July 15, 2025, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) demoted China’s consumption growth.  In their 2025-34 Outlook, the organizations put China’s global agricultural consumption growth share at 13% from 32% a decade ago.

In the 2023-2033 Outlook, China’s global consumption growth share had conversely declined from 28% to 11%, decade-on-decade. 

All in all, Beijing still remains among the biggest global Ag markets in both production and consumption terms. Per the following statistics, consumption is indeed one of the country’s most important economic traits. 

China Ag Consumption/Production Statistics 

Agriculture is quite an important sector in China in both production and consumption. Regarding production, the country leads in the global agri-food production value at over $1.654 trillion (2024). This output value is more than three times that of the 2024 runner-up, India, at above $524.13 billion. Driving the production lead are grains on 119 million hectares, producing up to 695 million tonnes, as of 2023.

With such huge production stakes, consumption comes into the equation, too at 1.151 billion tonnes, as of 2015. According to the China Economic Review 2019, fruits and vegetables (553 million tonnes) and cereals (455.2 million tonnes) led 2015’s consumption. Meat came third at 91.8 million tonnes while dairy finished the top four at 51.1 million tonnes.

Which grains does China consume the most?  

People in China utilized 817 million tonnes of grain in 2023. This according to the Federal Ministry of Food Agriculture Ministry of Germany in its 2023-34 China report. In other words, the country exhausted all 695 million tonnes in production that year and imported 163 million tonnes more. Corn led consumption at 296 million tonnes, followed by rice at 201 million tonnes and soybeans at 111 million tonnes. A decade earlier in 2011, cereals made up 47% of all food supplies in China, underlining their importance in Ag. 

Is meat and dairy major consumed products in China?

Like grain, meat and dairy are in high production but are still below peak utilization needs. 2023’s meat output hit 97 million tonnes or 4.5% more than 2022’s while consumption reached 102 million tonnes. Pork leads in preference at 59 million tonnes, as of 2023, accounting for roughly 50% of all meat consumption. Dairy follows pork at 58 million tonnes in 2023’s utility, against a domestic output of 41.9 million tonnes.  

Is high-protein food consumption per capita high in China

By 2021, China’s residents were consuming 124.6 grams of protein per person per day. This was just above that of the U.S. and nearly double the worldwide median of 76 grams per capita.