Agriculture

Hunan lies between 25' - 30 ' N. It has a humid continental and subtropical monsoon climate. Its annual average temperature lies between 16 C- 18 C, and the annual average precipitation is between 1,200 and 1,800 mm. With sufficient sunshine, plentiful rain, distinct seasons and long frost-free periods, Hunan has incredibly favorable conditions for agricultural production. 

Agriculture and Rural Areas

During the 14th Five-year Plan period (2021-2025), Hunan has achieved growth in planting area, per mu yield, and total output of grain, and meanwhile accelerated its pace in agricultural and rural modernization. Rural revitalization has advanced steadily. 

Grain production capacity of the province reached new heights. The sown area remained stable at over 71 million mu (approximately 4.73 million hectares), with total output staying around 30.5 million tonnes. Hunan contributed 4.4% to the national grain output, with 2.8 percent of the nation's cultivated land. Cumulatively, over 19.89 million mu (approximately 1.33 million hectares) of high-standard farmland was newly developed or upgraded. In 2025, the per mu yield of early-season rice increased by 1.98%, with total output reaching 7.462 million tonnes, ranking first in the country. 

Hunan has made solid progress in consolidating and expanding its poverty alleviation achievements. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Hunan established a robust system for monitoring and providing assistance for groups who are liable to return to, or fall into, poverty, firmly upholding the bottom line of preventing large-scale relapse into poverty or new poverty incidence. To date, a total of 428,000 individuals identified as liable have eliminated the risk of returning to or falling into poverty. The number of support measures per household on average increased from 2.42 in 2021 to 4.83 in 2025. The income of rural residents in formerly impoverished areas continued to rise, and the momentum of development in these areas strengthened. 

People are eating more healthily and nutritiously. The annual hog output of the province has consistently ranked among the top three in China, while its pork exports ranked first nationwide. Hunan's vegetable output has exceeded 46.55 million tonnes. The fruit cultivation area has reached 8.68 million mu (approximately 579,000 hectares), with its citrus output ranking second nationally. Hunan has a total of 4,056 green, organic, and geographical indication agricultural products, and the qualified rate of routine monitoring on the quality and safety of agricultural products remained above 98%. The agricultural product processing industry has become one of the six trillion-yuan industries in the province, forming a complete industrial chain from field to table. 

Agricultural modernization continues to advance. The reform of the "Integrated Academy of Agricultural Sciences" has progressed smoothly. The Yuelu Mountain Laboratory has become operational. The contribution rate of Hunan's agricultural science and technology progress has exceeded 64%. Major efforts have been made to revitalize seed industry. The research on high-yield hybrid rice has achieved six rounds of breakthroughs. The comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation, planting and harvesting has reached 60.8%, rising 12.5 percentage points compared to the pervious five-year period. 

Beautiful and harmonious villages become highlights across the province. Public toilets are available in more than 90% of rural areas. Over half of villages have reached the county-level standards for "beautiful villages." There is a renewed sense of vitality, characterized by upward mobility and virtuous conduct, in rural areas. 

Agri-exports

Hunan has seen a robust momentum of development in agricultural product export. According to the Changsha Customs statistics, Hunan exported 23.48 billion CNY of agricultural products in 2024, a year-on-year growth of 7.9 percent. It has remained in the front rank nationwide in the export of multiple agricultural products. The major exported products included vegetables, dry and fresh melons, fruits, and nuts, meat, and crayfishes.

Hunan's exports of vegetables reached 771,000 tonnes in 2024, an increase of 9.9% over the same period in 2023. The export value grew 4.6% to 12.96 billion CNY, hitting a record high again and exceeding 10 billion CNY for two consecutive years.

In 2024, Hunan Province exported 11.45 billion CNY of vegetables to Hong Kong, up 6% and accounting for 88.3% of the total in the same period. Exports to ASEAN countries amounted to 1.32 billion CNY, accounting for 10.2% of the total. Those to Indonesia and Vietnam maintained growth. Yongzhou played a leading role in vegetable export. In 2024, its exports of vegetables were worth 11.42 billion CNY, accounting for 88.1% of the provincial total. Huaihua and Changde witnessed rapid growth in vegetable export. Of which, Huaihua's exports of vegetables surged 120.8% to 1.22 billion CNY, while Changde's exports climbed 84.7% to 260 million CNY. Exports of cowpeas, broccoli, and cabbage saw rapid growth.

Mayang has actively expanded its international market. In 2022, 500 tonnes of sweet oranges were exported, followed by 15,000 tonnes in 2023 and 33,000 tonnes in 2024. These fruits are sold to more than ten countries, including Laos and Russia.

In March 2025, the first order of 1,300 barrels of canola oil were delivered to Malaysia from Guzhang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

Chinese sources: hunan.gov.cn, Chinanews, Hunan Provincial Bureau of Statistics

Updated in December 2025