Chinanews client, Beijing, March 25th (Reporter Li Jinlei) Recently, the skyrocketing international food prices have aroused concern.

The Chinese people are very concerned about whether this will affect the "rice bowl" of the Chinese people?

From FAO.

Skyrocketing international food prices

　　According to data released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in February 2021, the international prices of major grains rose sharply year-on-year, with sorghum prices up 82.1% year-on-year, corn prices up 45.5% year-on-year, and wheat prices up 19.8% year-on-year.

　　The FAO Food Price Index averaged 116.0 points in February 2021, an increase of 2.8 points (2.4%) from the previous month, rising for the ninth consecutive month and setting the highest level since July 2014.

　　Food prices in many countries have also soared.

　　The prices of agricultural products in South Korea have generally risen.

According to media reports, the price of Korean scallions has soared more than three times year-on-year. The average retail price per kilogram is as high as 7,400 won, which is about RMB 43. Some Korean people who can’t live without scallions call out that they can’t afford to eat them and they choose to grow them at home. Green onions.

Screenshot of CCTV Financial Report.

　　Food prices in Argentina have risen astonishingly recently.

Compared with the second half of last year, the average price of fruits in Argentina has increased by 228%, the price of potatoes has increased by 114%, the average price of meat has increased by 103%, and the price of vegetables has also increased by 88%.

　　Due to insufficient supply, the average wholesale price of eggs on the Tokyo market in Japan has increased by about 50% from the beginning of this year.

The retail price of almost all meat in the United States rose in February compared with the same period last year. Among them, ham and fresh chicken rose by more than 16%.

　　International food prices are rising, and the Chinese people are worried, will this affect domestic prices?

Will the Chinese "rice bowl" also become more expensive?

Data map: People buy goods in supermarkets.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu

Let's take a look at the current price situation in China.

　　Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that in January 2021, the national consumer price (CPI) fell 0.3% year-on-year, and the CPI fell 0.2% year-on-year in February, which was negative for two consecutive months.

　　From the perspective of food prices, in January, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol rose by 1.4% year-on-year. Among them, the price of food rose by 1.6%, which affected the increase in CPI by about 0.03 percentage points.

In February, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol rose by 0.3% year-on-year, of which grain prices rose by 1.4%, affecting the CPI increase by about 0.02 percentage points.

　　According to the monitoring of the Ministry of Commerce, from March 8 to 14, the national market price of edible agricultural products dropped by 0.8% from the previous week.

The average wholesale price of 30 kinds of vegetables was 5.21 yuan per kilogram, down 1.3% from the previous week; meat prices fell in varying degrees, of which the wholesale price of pork was 37.67 yuan per kilogram, down 2%; the prices of grain and oil fluctuated slightly, including the wholesale prices of rice and flour. Down by 0.2%, the wholesale prices of rapeseed oil, soybean oil and peanut oil increased by 0.9%, 0.6% and 0.3% respectively.

Rice information map.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Xiaobin

Does imported inflation affect domestic "rice bowls"?

　　International food prices have generally risen, and many countries have tightened their "grain bags". Will this be transmitted to the country?

　　Liu Gang, Director of the Comprehensive Business Division of the Price Monitoring Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, told the media recently that due to factors such as production, circulation, and the epidemic, there is a certain degree of uncertainty in the trend of international food prices in the later period.

my country's food security situation is generally stable, and the transmission effect of rising international food prices on the domestic market is relatively limited.

　　why?

　　Because China's three major staple foods, wheat, corn, and rice, have a very high self-sufficiency rate, and the lack of imports will not lead to a shortage of domestic food supplies. Therefore, domestic food prices are less affected by the international community.

　　Data show that China's grain imports are mainly feed grains such as soybeans and coarse grains. Imported rice and wheat account for only 1% and 2% of total domestic consumption respectively, which mainly play a role in variety exchange and adjustment.

The national rice and wheat inventory levels are roughly equivalent to the annual consumption of urban and rural residents.

　　National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson Liu Aihua said on March 15 that in the coming period, from the perspective of food prices, the current supply of food and major agricultural products is sufficient, and the prices of food and major agricultural products are expected to remain relatively stable.

　　The expected price target in the 2021 government work report is about 3%, which is a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from the 2020 expected target.

"The lower than last year's expected target shows that the government has confidence in controlling the CPI at a relatively low level." Sun Guojun, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the State Council Research Office, said at the State Council Information Office a few days ago.

Data map: Yuan Longping is inspecting the growth of rice in the field.

Photo by Tang Xiaoqing

Is China's food security guaranteed?

　　Everything is easy, eating is a big deal.

In the first half of 2020, affected by the epidemic, many countries have restricted grain exports, and the scene of some people in China following the trend of "grabbing rice and oil" is still vivid.

Therefore, whenever there is a turmoil in the international grain market, people are concerned about whether China's food security is guaranteed?

　　Statistics show that China’s grain output has stabilized at more than 1.3 trillion catties for six consecutive years, and the 1.4 billion Chinese per capita has more than 470 kilograms of grain per capita, which is higher than the internationally recognized food safety limit of 400 kilograms.

　　Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian stated at a press conference on February 22 that my country’s annual grain harvest reached 1,339 billion catties last year, a record high and an increase of more than 10 billion catties over the previous year.

The inventory of the whole society is very abundant at present, so the production and sales are good, and the inventory is good.

"I can tell you very responsibly that China's food security is completely guaranteed and we have the ability to secure our jobs."

　　However, it should also be noted that China’s food supply and demand have always been in a tightly balanced state, and the uncertainty and instability of the external situation has also increased significantly. Therefore, the issue of food security cannot be taken lightly for a moment.

(Finish)