China exported US$31.03 billion worth of farm produce last year,
up 14.1 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce reported on
its website on Wednesday.
As prices on world markets were much higher than domestic
markets over the past two years, farm produce exports have been on
the rise.
The average export prices for garlic, apples, apple juice and
canned mushrooms rose more than 20 percent last year, said the
ministry.
More than half of China's farm produce exports were
horticultural products, which rose 21.5 percent, and aquatic
products, up 19.5 percent in the first 11 months last year, the
ministry said.
China's farm produce exports to the United States grew by 34.1
percent and exports to the European Union were up 25.4 percent year
on year.
Due to Japan's strict new standards for chemical residues,
export growth to Japan slowed to 3.7 percent in the first 11
months, much lower than the 9.4 percent growth in the same period
of 2005.
Japan, the largest overseas market for Chinese farm produce
exports, implemented the Positive List System for Agricultural
Chemicals Residues on May 29, 2006.
The new system, imposing much stricter standards on residues on
agricultural products, directly affected Chinese agricultural
exports worth about eight billion U.S. dollars and involved more
than 6,000 Chinese enterprises.
The Ministry of Commerce wants to see farm produce exports grow
by at least seven percent a year so a total of US$38 billion in
2010, according to its work plan.
(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2007)