The 7^th China International Food & Ingredients Expo and the 1^st China International Pre-made Food Industry Expo were held in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, on Mar. 24. The 1^st China International Pre-made Food Development Forum was held in parallel. Li Jinxiang, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, attended the event and delivered remarks.  

Li Jinxiang said the “No. 1 central document” for 2023 made specific arrangements for the high-quality development of rural industries, and for the first time, called for more efforts to “standardize ready-to-cook vegetables and central kitchens, and develop the pre-made food industry”. The pre-made food industry connects production and consumption, and places of origin and market. It can also help increase farmers’ income by revitalizing rural industries. The market size of China’s pre-made food reached 419.6 billion yuan in 2022, and is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan in 2026. Therefore, it will play a bigger role in pushing China’s agri-industry to move up the value chain, and fostering new competitive advantages in the global arena.  

Xiao Yafei, Deputy Director of Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and Secretary of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee, and Chen Liangxian, Member of the Leading Party Group of Guangdong Province attended the event. Envoys from foreign countries, representatives of the FAO, the WFP and other international organizations, representatives of domestic agricultural and rural departments and relevant companies, and experts and scholars participated in the events.  

The Expos attracted nearly 1,000 exhibitors from more than 20 countries and 31 provinces, autonomous regions and provincial-level municipalities in China. Over 600 professional buyers and purchasers networked with the exhibitors during the Expos. Meanwhile, about 30 featured events were organized to encourage dialogue among various participants and promote practical cooperation. These activities included forums on the high-quality development of the pre-made food industry attended by DG-level officials and city/county mayors, a workshop on “pre-made food industry development and rural revitalization”, promotional events for high-quality development bases of international trade in agriculture, and a national pre-made food competition.