China's Agriculture

China is increasing its involvement in global markets. Agricultural exports are are allowing the farmers to create more jobs and increase their income, however their returns are not always as high as they should be. Farmers receive high prices from vegetables and not as much from the likes grain (as shown below).

Imports of soybean, cotton, animal hides, rubber, and vegetable oils have boomed, but Chinese policy makers have a growing concern that the country is relying to much on imports. China has a goal to limit grain imports to no more than 5% of the countries total consumption by 2020. They also want to expand their exports on things like livestock, soybeans, cotton, sugar, apples, and citrus over the next 5 years.

World's leading producer of cotton and leading exporter of wheat and oilseeds. China is almost self sufficient in wheat and corn. It is the world's top consumer of meat and grain.

China's agricultural exports have slowed because of the raising concerns with food safety, tighter enforcement of environmental regulations, rising labor costs and other major concerns about the Chinese economy.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June09/Features/ChinaMarket.htm

Check out the link below for more information on China's major Agricultural sectors.
http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=345&catid=9&subcatid=63