October, often considered the harvest season, marks a significant milestone for agriculture in China. According to the latest updates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, over half of the autumn grain has already been harvested, suggesting another bountiful year ahead. Freshly harvested agricultural products are making their way into homes across the country. Today, the demand for our daily meals has evolved beyond just being full and satisfied; there’s a growing emphasis on health and nutrition. This shift in focus extends from staple crops to a more diverse range of foods, including fish, meat, eggs, and dairy. The question arises: how can we make previously rare or expensive food items more accessible to everyone? The answer lies in ensuring we have control over our agricultural “core,” safeguarding our genetic resources.
The variety on Chinese dining tables is expanding, with fruits, vegetables, and seafood becoming increasingly abundant. As the fishing season opens along the eastern coast, many people rush to sample freshly caught seafood. In Qingdao’s seafood market, alongside the usual autumn catches like shrimp and crabs, shoppers are also discovering varieties not typically seen at this time of year.
Take oysters, for instance. Known scientifically as “Ostrea,” China is one of their original habitats, and many coastal regions engage in oyster farming. Traditionally, oysters were best enjoyed in late winter and early spring, as summer and autumn marked their breeding season when they were less palatable. However, recent advancements have introduced a triploid oyster variety that allows for year-round availability of delicious oysters.
Xu Zhe, a researcher at Qingdao Frontier Marine Seed Industry Co., stated, “Normal oysters are diploid, which means they typically produce less meat. Triploid oysters, having an extra set of chromosomes, don’t spawn during their breeding season, allowing them to remain meaty throughout the year.”
This innovation highlights a shift in China’s approach to marine aquaculture. With a historical reliance on unsophisticated farming practices and a surge in production without guaranteeing quality, challenges arose. According to Zhang Guofan, a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Around 2000, we faced large-scale die-offs in shrimp, shellfish, and fish farming, leading us to conclude that there were systematic issues. Wild genetic resources were simply being adapted without consideration for modern aquaculture environments.”
To tackle the demand for better nutrition and higher food output from the oceans, researchers are now implementing triploid breeding techniques to develop varieties that thrive in contemporary farming conditions. Effective aquaculture strategies require not only scientific farming approaches but also a robust industry chain. Following the emergence of triploid oysters, the oyster industry has seen upgrades in farming, processing, and transportation.
Zhang added, “We control capacities and implement traceability and purification processes. While our past focus was mainly on the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, we’ve now expanded to Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan, covering an area of one million acres and yielding a production value of 100 billion yuan.”
As a result, not only local coastal residents can indulge in these culinary delights, but inland residents far from the ocean are also enjoying fresh seafood. Beyond oysters, triploid breeding methods have shown promise for other marine products, such as abalone and sea cucumbers, making it possible for Chinese consumers to source high-quality food from the ocean’s “blue granary.”
Zhang pointed out, “Currently, we have 131 new varieties of marine products, playing a significant role in promoting a diverse food supply, optimizing dietary options, and enhancing public health.”
The goal is to establish a multifaceted food supply system that diversifies food sources and ensures access to quality products for all. This requires a steadfast commitment to developing local, high-quality agricultural varieties.
In recent years, beef dishes have become more common in our daily diets, with foods like steak gaining popularity. However, most beef consumed in China originates from imported cattle breeds.
Li Junya, deputy director at the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, explained, “We still rely heavily on imported genetic resources, which poses challenges. If, during special circumstances, we cannot import quality genetic material, we’ll face significant issues. Moreover, many of these imported breeds aren’t the best specimens. We must develop cattle breeds suited to our market’s needs.”
Since the 1970s, China has made strides in breeding its own beef cattle varieties. Unlike crops like grains and vegetables, breeding cattle requires significant time, as genetic traits only become apparent after each generation matures. Over 40 years, the Huaxi cattle breed emerged from the Ulagai region in Inner Mongolia, showcasing superior overall performance.
Li noted, “Currently, our Huaxi cattle achieve growth rates comparable to North American Simmental cattle and surpass Australian counterparts. They incorporate local Chinese bloodlines, such as Mongolian and Sanhe cattle, and can withstand winter temperatures as low as -40°C—conditions that would be challenging for other breeds.”
At the end of 2021, Huaxi cattle received certification as a national livestock breed, with a breeding population exceeding 17,000 heads. However, to compete with foreign breeds that boast breeding populations of over a million, the Huaxi breed needs to expand rapidly.
To increase the Huaxi cattle’s influence and population, the breeding team established the Huaxi Cattle Breeding Alliance, responding to industry needs and providing real-time guidance to participating farmers.
Thanks to ongoing promotion, multiple core breeding groups for Huaxi cattle have been established across 12 provinces, with many recently born calves already pre-ordered. The development of new beef cattle breeds continues as China aims to enhance the taste and quality of domestic beef.
A healthy diet rich in fish, meat, and fresh vegetables is essential. As autumn vegetables come into season, not only are there abundant supplies from major producing provinces like Shandong and Hebei, but highland vegetables from Gansu and Ningxia are also replenishing vegetable supplies after summer, marking the close of the autumn harvest.
Broccoli, originally from Italy and known for its high nutritional value, has become a staple on the international market since its introduction to China years ago. Despite regular vegetables selling for less than one yuan per pound, broccoli once commanded ten times that price, establishing itself as an expensive treat.
According to Li Zhansheng, an expert at the Vegetable and Flower Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, “After its introduction in the 1980s, broccoli generated significant export revenue. However, there has been a recent shift from export to domestic sales as planting spreads nationwide. Our cultivation area expanded from nearly one million acres in 2010 to over 1.8 million acres today.”
Growing cultivation areas have made broccoli more affordable and available. Nevertheless, dependence on imported varieties has persisted.
Yang Haixing, a senior agricultural technology engineer at Gansu’s Yuzhong County Agriculture Technology Promotion Center, remarked, “Imported varieties tend to be more resilient and better adapted to local conditions, which has led farmers to rely on them longer.”
While reliance on imported seeds initially posed no serious problems, the recent “seed supply interruptions” have threatened broccoli growers in Yuzhong and affected national broccoli supply chains.
To ensure consistent, affordable vegetable supplies, stable production is essential, which fundamentally hinges on reliable seed supply. Research institutes and businesses began working on broccoli seed development shortly after its introduction to China. The Taizhou Agricultural Academy of Sciences in Zhejiang was among the pioneer institutions. However, initial local breeding efforts floundered due to limited domestic germplasm resources and technology.
He Daogen, the academy’s deputy head, explained, “The breeding cycle is lengthy; we can only breed once a year. Developing a single variety can take over ten years. Our earlier varieties lacked commercial viability, as they required specific temperature and humidity conditions for flowering, hindering seed production.”
In recent years, China has focused on developing domestic varieties of broccoli and carrots previously dominated by foreign seeds, resulting in significant breakthroughs. This year, Gansu’s Yuzhong County began planting new broccoli varieties developed by Taizhou Agricultural Academy.
Currently, domestic broccoli varieties account for nearly 30% of the market, with 15 varieties planted across regions from the southeast coastal areas to the inland west, ensuring stable supplies as the fall planting season progresses.
The 20th National Congress highlighted the need to “build a diverse food supply system,” underscoring the importance of scaling up breeding efforts for new agricultural varieties. The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated a commitment to enhancing our control over essential genetic resources. As we cultivate high-quality domestic seeds, it’s equally crucial to develop an accompanying industry and service framework. With more “Chinese cores” in agriculture, we can expect abundant harvests and increasingly diverse dining options.
