China's annual output of forest food exceeded 200 million tonnes in 2024, data from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration showed on Friday.
Forest food refers to the food produced in forests or woodlands, including edible fruits, flowers, leaves, and branches. Friday marks the 13th International Day of Forests, with this year's theme highlighting the critical role forests play in food production.
In China, forest food has become the third-largest agricultural category after grains and vegetables, according to the administration.
China has more than 3.4 billion mu (about 226.7 million hectares) of forests and 8,000 kinds of woody plants, which contain rich food resources. In 2024, the economic forest cultivation area reached 700 million mu, with an annual output value exceeding 2 trillion yuan.
China's understory economy, a sector that maximizes the economic potential of forested lands through activities like mushroom cultivation, medicinal plant farming, utilized 600 million mu of forest land, contributing an impressive annual output value of approximately one trillion yuan.
The country’s fruit production is particularly robust, with 200 million mu of cultivation area yielding approximately 190 million tonnes of fruit. The supply of woody oils, such as tea oil, olive oil, walnut oil, and peony seed oil, has become increasingly diverse. Additionally, woody staples like chestnuts, dates, persimmons, pine nuts, and apricot kernels are abundant, with a cultivation area of about 100 million mu and an output of 14 million tonnes. Forest-based farming also supports the production of 4.9 billion poultry and over 50 million livestock.
China's forest food industry not only enhances food security but also promotes sustainable land use and rural economic development, aligning with global efforts to recognize forests as vital contributors to food systems.
China's forest food output exceeds 200 million tonnes, bolstering food security
The 10th China-Russia Expo opened on Sunday in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, highlighting the resilience, vitality and mutual benefits of China-Russia economic ties.
Held from May 17 to 21, this year's expo covers a floor space of 55,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions taking part. Nearly 300 Russian companies are attending, while over 5,000 buyers are expected.
Since 2014, the event has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian companies and over a million visitors.
The China-Russia Expo is the largest comprehensive exhibition platform between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin each sent congratulatory letters to the event, encouraging all sectors from both countries to seize the opportunity, make full use of their geographical proximity and economic complementarity, and further expand all-round practical cooperation.
"Leaders of the two countries have signed agreements to deepen practical cooperation, which we fully support. Russia and China stand side by side for common development, benefiting young people and all people. Such cooperation is timely and far-reaching. We are here in Harbin for the China-Russia Expo, coming from Russia's Sakha Republic. Our region is dominated by agriculture. We are seeking advanced farming technologies including irrigation equipment and harvesters. We hope to reach deals in the coming days to boost local development," said Vasiliy Petrovich Alexeev, head of Ust-Aidan Region of the Russian Federation.
"We are greatly inspired by the congratulatory letters from the heads of state of China and Russia. We will keep building targeted and efficient cooperation platforms, and smooth channels for sub-national exchanges between China and Russia," said Chen Shijun, president of Heilongjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China-Russia trade volume has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 16 years running.
In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade volume hit 60 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 14 percent.
This year's Expo features eight major exhibition zones. Beyond the exhibition halls, Russian delegations have also conducted field visits to Chinese companies. A delegation from the Republic of Buryatia visited one of northeast China's largest building materials distribution centers to explore potential areas of cooperation.
"Regular China-Russia economic and trade events continuously bring fresh cooperation opportunities for both sides. This field trip to Xilong Building Materials Market has helped us explore more practical directions and modes for bilateral cooperation," said Alexei Tsydenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation.
"Relying on Buryatia's abundant mineral resources and sound logistics conditions, we plan to build industrial parks focusing on home building materials, mineral resources and energy sectors in Russia. We will introduce advanced Chinese technologies and management models to drive coordinated industrial upgrading between the two countries," said Wu Jinrong, vice president of Harbin Xilong International Trade and Logistics Park.
From everyday consumer goods to advanced helicopters, and from mineral resources to intelligent robotics, China-Russia cooperation now spans a wide range of sectors. Economic ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to advance toward higher-quality development and broader prospects.
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
