Below is the editor's note from the 1/27 edition of SAAnews Weekly. For a selection of our English summaries and headlines of top stories from the week's domestic media coverage of China's agriculture industry, sign up for our free weekly newsletter.
Shuanghui International was back in the headlines again this week when they announced a name change. The newly re-named "WH Group" went on to apply for a USD 6b IPO in Hong Kong and a USD 1m IPO in Harbin - Asia's largest IPO in years. The company's new logo reveals their eagerness to present a more international image: a company spokesman said that the four white waves represent the major oceans, and the remaining red pieces symbolize the world's continents. WH Group has been in the international spotlight since they acquired Smithfield Foods (USA) last September, making the company - then known as Shuanghui - the world's largest pork supplier.
Last week, we noted that China's No. 1 Document, an annual policy that has for the past decade served as China's de-facto farm bill, was released. Over the course of this week, we noted with interest the coverage of sustainable agriculture's historic first appearance in Chinese national policy with the inclusion of "eco-agriculture". The market has also taken note, with publicly listed green fertilizer companies benefitting most. Beyond sustainability, the Document signals significant shifts in China's agricultural commodities pricing system and increased investment in agriculture logistics (especially China's cold chain) to improve the safety of fresh food products.
