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**China’s Soybean Challenges and Agricultural Modernization Efforts** *Beijing News (Reporter: Zhou Huaizong)* — The release of this year’s No. 1 Central Document has reignited discussions on the “Soybean Revitalization” plan in China. In the 1980s and 1990s, China was a net exporter of soybeans. However, today, 90% of its soybeans are imported. Despite a decline in soybean imports last year, China still purchased 88.03 million tons from abroad. What has caused such a dramatic change over the past two decades? In an exclusive interview with *Beijing News*, Professor Wang Tao, Vice President of China Agricultural University and leader of the agricultural planning team under China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, shared his insights into the shortcomings of China’s soybean industry and the broader agricultural challenges. “Agriculture is the last bottleneck in our modernization efforts. Without agricultural modernization, there can be no national modernization,” said Wang. **China's Heavy Reliance on Soybean Imports** Soybeans are critical in meeting the dietary oil demands of Chinese citizens, and consumption has surged along with rising living standards. In 2016, China’s annual per capita edible oil consumption reached 24.8 kilograms. Domestic production, however, falls far short of meeting these needs. In 2016-2017, China's total consumption of vegetable oil was 35.68 million tons, but domestic production accounted for only 11 million tons—just 30.8% of demand. Historically, China was a net exporter of soybeans until the mid-1990s. This trend shifted due to both rising domestic oil consumption and declining competitiveness of Chinese-grown soybeans. “Farmers in Northeast China, a key soybean-producing region, prefer to grow rice or corn because these crops have achieved full mechanization, making them more efficient and profitable,” Wang explained. “Soybean farming, by contrast, remains largely manual and less attractive to farmers.” **The Risks of Overdependence** Today, China imports about 85% of its soybean needs, which poses significant risks to food security. “Such high reliance on international markets is dangerous, especially as soybeans are often at the center of trade disputes. No major nation should depend on imports to this extent,” Wang warned. Soybeans are not the only crop affected by this dynamic. China also ranks among the top global importers of sorghum and sugar. Even corn, despite its extensive domestic cultivation, struggles to compete internationally due to higher production costs, driven by lower mechanization rates and efficiency. Imported corn costs about 50% less than domestically grown corn. In response, the 2019 No. 1 Central Document proposed a soybean revitalization plan, with the Ministry of Agriculture focusing on increasing domestic soybean production as part of a broader effort to restructure grain production. **The Road to Agricultural Modernization** Increasing domestic soybean supply requires more than just expanding cultivation areas. In 2018, China’s soybean planting area was approximately 12.7 million hectares, and the Ministry of Agriculture aimed to increase this by 500,000 hectares in 2019. However, officials acknowledged that imports would continue to play a major role in meeting demand. To break this dependence, the government is pushing for agricultural modernization, including improved mechanization, seed technology, and production methods. Wang emphasized, “Without significant changes in production efficiency, it will be difficult to reduce our reliance on imports. Meeting domestic oil demand would require planting 70-80 million hectares of soybeans, which is unrealistic.” China already has the technological capacity for modern agriculture. For instance, the country has developed autonomous tractors and satellite-based data transmission systems to monitor and manage crops. However, the primary obstacles lie in adapting these technologies to a fragmented and small-scale farming system. **Overcoming Barriers to Agricultural Reform** Wang pointed out that the real challenge is not technological but structural. “The modernization of agriculture requires not just technological advancement but also changes in how we think about farming and organize agricultural production. Modernization means large-scale, efficient operations, which is difficult under the current system where families own small, scattered plots of land.” He stressed that true agricultural modernization involves more than just seeds and fertilizers. “It requires an industrial mindset, with large-scale, automated operations that integrate advanced technologies. Small-scale farming cannot achieve the necessary levels of mechanization, automation, or even intelligence.” **A Vision for the Future** Despite the challenges, Wang remains optimistic about China’s agricultural future. “The path to agricultural modernization is clear: from modernizing our development concepts and technologies to transforming production methods. The key to this transformation lies in the modernization of people—the farmers themselves. This requires improvements in public services, grassroots governance, and, ultimately, changing how farmers think about their work.” Wang concluded, “Agriculture is the last hurdle in China’s modernization efforts, and now is the time to overcome it.”