Modern tech 'can bolster self-sufficiency'

China can make considerable progress in food self-sufficiency if it uses methods like consolidation of farmlands and encourages use of modern machinery, technologies and good practices for agriculture, said a report published by Rabobank.

The Netherlands-based banking and financial services company said China can improve its food self-sufficiency by 10 percent in the next decade by using modern techniques. According to the lender's estimates, the higher self-sufficiency levels in China will lead to higher grains and oilseeds harvests of 61 million metric tons and 3 million metric tons, respectively.

"Bigger farms would allow best practices to be applied with more efficiency across China. Chinese food and agricultural companies should also invest more in research and development to develop farm input products that can boost yield and sustainability," said Sam Gao, an analyst with the food and agribusiness research and advisory department at the Shanghai branch of Rabobank Nederland.