Reference News Network, December 25 report: According to the website of the UK's Financial Times on December 23, China is gradually becoming a powerful producer of high-end food, not only supplying delicacies that were once very rare for domestic consumers, but also successfully entering the overseas market in some categories.

Today, this second-largest economy in the world ranks among the top in both production and export of caviar. In addition, China initially introduced the cultivation of Australian macadamia trees from Australia, and now it has surpassed Australia to become a major global producer of Australian macadamias.

At the same time, China is also expanding its cherry cultivation, increasing the sales of wild truffles, and producing thousands of tons of foie gras annually.

Li Fenshan (音), a breeder in Anhui Province, said: "In the past, many people who could afford such ingredients either had never heard of them or didn't know they came from China, specifically from Huoqiu County." He produces about 100 tons of foie gras per year, mainly supplying the domestic market. He said: "Now it's different, many people know about it."

He also said: "More and more people are eating foie gras now."

Over the past 20 years, the supply capacity of these foods, which were previously highly dependent on imports, has been greatly improved domestically.

To some extent, this transformation is due to the strong support from local governments in agricultural provinces such as Yunnan, Shandong, and Anhui, which actively guide farmers to switch to high-value crops.

The report states that the main driving force behind this high-end food industry boom is the continuously growing domestic consumer demand, which also brings new challenges to China's trade partners.

This impact is most evident in the caviar market. Caviar is a delicacy made from salted sturgeon eggs. Since the 1990s, China's caviar production has grown rapidly, completely reshaping the global trade pattern of this delicacy.

The caviar brand Karuqa, developed by a team of Chinese agricultural experts, is now one of the largest suppliers in the world. In 2024, the brand produced 260 tons of caviar, accounting for 35% of the global total production.

Data from the International Trade Centre show that in 2012, China exported caviar worth about $12 million, accounting for about 14% of the global export volume; by 2024, China's caviar exports had increased to $98 million, accounting for 43% of the global export volume.

Ian Rafferty, an advisor specializing in Chinese agriculture, said that Chinese producers have achieved rapid development and captured market share from competitors at lower prices, thanks to multiple advantages, including lower labor costs, shorter production cycles, and more efficient supply chains.

Producers like Li Fenshan from Huoqiu County and others focus on China's vast domestic market. Li Fenshan said: "The consumption of foie gras in the domestic market is rising year by year." However, he also exports some 100g cans of foie gras to the Middle East.

The development of the macadamia nut industry highlights the role of local governments in supporting the development of the high-end food industry. In Mangshi, Yunnan Province, adjacent to the China-Myanmar border, large areas of land are planted with macadamia trees. This industrial layout began in the 1990s, when macadamia nuts were considered a high-value crop that could increase rural income, and the local government immediately launched related planting promotion work.

In Yunnan, the local government provided subsidies, fertilizers, irrigation support, and technical training to small farmers to encourage them to switch to this crop, which had very low consumption in China at the time. (Translated by Liu Baiyun)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7587625117929243186/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.