The 9th China International Food and Ingredients Expo (CIFIE) and the 3rd China International Pre-made Food Industry Expo (CIPFIE) kicked off in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, on April 18. The two expos were hosted by the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). Tao Huaiying, MARA Chief Veterinary Officer, attended related events. 

This year's CIFIE and CIPFIE marked a concrete step towards vigorously boosting consumption as outlined in the 2025 Government Work Report. Covering more than 50,000 square meters, the expos featured themed exhibition areas for grain and condiments, pre-made foods and ingredients, food processing equipment, tea, coffee, and beverages, snacks and trendy foods, pet foods, etc., as well as a dedicated area for the pairing assistance program. 

Leveraging China's new quality productive forces in agriculture, the expos employed AI technologies, such as virtual guided tours, livestreaming, robot chefs, and robot assistants, to showcase cutting-edge technologies and achievements in the agri-food sector. A total of 1,336 companies from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China and over 20 countries and regions participated in the expos. 

Nearly 5,000 domestic and international buyers with purchase intentions totaling hundreds of billions of yuan also participated, including major e-commerce platforms like JD.com, Meituan, and Freshippo, leading supply chain companies like Beijing's Xinfadi Market and Shenzhen HiGreen Wholesale Market, and buyer delegations from the Middle East, North America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR. 

More than 20 themed activities were also held during the expos, including the launch of the Guangdong Lychee "12221" Marketing Campaign and fresh produce procurement events targeting large domestic wholesale markets. The 14th Guangdong Modern Agriculture Expo was also held concurrently, which offered a whole picture of Guangdong’s agri-food development and served the in-depth integration and high-quality growth of the entire agricultural value chain.