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Judging from the data, this is completely true, but as a big grain country, can we, as a big grain country, be completely free from relying on grain imports? The answer is no. Every year, the mainland imports hundreds of millions of tons of grain from abroad.
We saw that some netizens were very unhappy when they saw this news, and scolded the relevant departments for their inaction in the comment area, and some even moved Yuan Longping's grandfather out. said, "Grandpa Yuan Longping created hybrid rice because he didn't want us to import foreign grain from China." Such a statement is really stupid.
1. Composition of food needs
We can't deny the contribution made by Grandpa Yuan Longping, because of his contribution, we don't have any problems in the rice harvest. But one thing is certain, the mainland has now moved away from the era of only pursuing food and clothing.
To put it simply, everyone has money in their pockets, at least in terms of food, there is no need to grieve themselves. Usually eat rice at the same time, what vegetables and meat and so on, that must be arranged. In terms of vegetables, everyone understands very well, it is nothing more than seeds, fertilizers and so on.
So what exactly is lacking on the mainland today? This answer is the source of meat! Many friends may say, "Isn't meat just to eat?" We have not seen any meat that is not sold in the vegetable market. But have you ever thought about a question, what do these animals that provide us with meat eat?
Now that everyone is in good condition, they all want to eat something good, and eating meat is a great joy in life. The consumption of vegetables and rice and other carbohydrates in the mainland is also steadily rising with the rise of the mainland's population, but this trend is stable and flat.
Second, the shortage of soybeans and corn
The consumption of meat can be said to be in a state of rapid growth every year, that is, everyone is eating more and more meat. If we want to provide that much meat, we need to feed the animals that provide us with meat.
The most important raw material in mainland animal feed is soybeans. In addition to soybeans, corn is also a very typical feed grain, which is also in short supply on the mainland.
So why is there a shortage? The reason for this is relatively realistic. The main reason is that our farmers do not want to grow soybeans, because growing soybeans in China is not profitable, and the consumption of residents in the mainland itself is mainly rice and wheat.
We consume our own soybeans, mainly to extract oil and eat them. In these two areas, our country itself will be able to complete self-sufficiency. But if you want to meet the needs of meat and poultry feed, there is still a huge gap.
The main sources of our soybean imports are the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. These countries control most of the world's soybean production. The mainland is not without the ability to plant, but there is not much room for price compression.
Even if the mainland's own soybeans are sold to their own people, the cost is about the same. So it's better to give up this arable land to grow other crops and import soybeans from other countries. This is an economic problem, and if we change the concept of the demand market, it is that we eat too much meat.
3. How much we love meat
If we were in a planned economy, like North Korea, there would be no need for us to import so many soybeans for meat and poultry. How much can we eat meat? According to the statistics. Per capita calorie consumption of plant-based foods on the mainland is one-third higher than 50 years ago.
But if this figure is animal calories, it is 4.5 times that of 50 years ago. Here is the per capita data, that is. Compared to people 50 years ago, we ate 4.5 times as much meat as they did, maybe even more.
In addition to the meat obtained from these meat and poultry products, there are also some dairy products that require soybeans as a raw material. The history of soybean shortages began in 1978. During this time, the mainland experienced food reform and rural movements, but this situation has not changed.
Compared with 20 years ago, the demand for soybeans in the mainland has changed from 40 million tons to 110 million tons today. If we don't import it, we really won't be able to get so many soybeans if we don't vacate the arable land.
These data can reflect our Chinese love for meat food. Especially with the advent of the era of takeaway and short video live broadcast, as long as it is not in a particularly remote and poor place, almost 24 hours a day, we can buy meat through the takeaway platform.
This is also linked to consumption time, let's take an example. In 05, there was no takeaway, I was in a village in Nantong, Jiangsu, after dinner at night, when the meat at home was exhausted, at this time I wanted to eat supper, I wanted to eat meat, and I had to ride a bicycle to the 24-hour KFC in the city.
Think about it, you have everything in your dreams, just go to sleep. Nowadays, watching football until the early hours of the morning, thinking about the shortcomings, ordering a takeout and watching while eating. In 30 minutes, the takeaway was delivered to my home, and the meat inside was waving to me face to face.
epilogue
The shortage of soybeans and corn can perfectly reflect the huge demand of mainland consumers in the meat market and the problem of changing consumption concepts brought to us by the era of takeaway and the Internet. How do you understand it in front of the screen? Post your thoughts in the comment section and let's discuss them together.