date:Feb 01, 2013
China will impose no further curbs on food imports this year, a top agriculture official said on Friday, even after foreign supplies hit a record 12 percent of total demand in 2012, putting the country's self-sufficiency targets in doubt.
China's decision to hold large stockpiles of key farm products has provided strong support for domestic prices, but also pushed buyers to look overseas for cheaper supplies. Imports at 12 percent of food supplies in 2012 far outstripped a guideline of 5 percen