Differences in agricultural resources and production efficiency
1. Uneven distribution of cultivated land resources
China has 170 million hectares of arable land, but its per capita arable land is only 0.09 hectares, less than 40% of the world average ; India’s arable land accounts for 51.61%, and the climatic conditions are superior (annual rainfall 1200 mm, three harvests a year), but agricultural technology is backward, the output is only half of China .
Indian agriculture is dependent on traditional tillage with low mechanisation and obsolete irrigation facilities resulting in low production efficiency .
2. The contradiction between production and demand
For many years in a row, China’s total grain output has remained above 650 million tons, and its self-sufficiency rate of main grains has exceeded 95%. However, China imports cash crops such as soybeans and corn to meet the needs of animal husbandry .
India’s food production is low and 190 million people are still undernourished, but the government prioritizes earning foreign exchange through exports and 30% of food is wasted through storage and transportation .
Policy guidance and economic demand differences
1. India’s “export first” policy
India sees food exports as a source of foreign exchange earnings and, with 42% of the population in agriculture, can increase farmers’ incomes, but ignores domestic hunger (101st in the Global Hunger Index) .
The government’s failure to invest effectively in water conservancy and agricultural modernization exacerbated the dilemma of “relying on the weather to survive”, and frequent floods and droughts further limited output .
2. China’s reserve and upgrade strategy
China imports grain to build strategic reserves, cope with potential risks, and meet consumption upgrades (such as the conversion of meat, eggs and milk to imported soybeans) .
By importing low-priced feed grains to reduce the cost of breeding, improve the quality of people’s diet, and promote the transformation from “full” to “good” .
