The state-owned 'Voice of China' reported that China's largest pig producer, the pig-farming giant Muyuan Group announced plans to build 84 industrialized pig farms in 13 counties surrounding its headquarters in Nanyang, a city in the hinterland of Henan Province to alleviate China's meat shortage. The plan stirred up controversy because 55 of the pig farms are to be built on 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of "permanent cropland" designated by the government for producing grain crops. Muyuan Group also this month announced projects in counties of Anhui, Hubei, and Liaoning Provinces.

 

A People's Daily opinion piece (August 30) that appeared several days after the "Voice of China" story condemned the use of "permanent" farmland to build pig farms. The author asserted that Chinese people should not have to sacrifice rice to fill their bowls with pork. A number of online videos warned readers that they may have to choose between going without pork or going without rice. On November 4, 2020, the State Council issued an "Opinion on preventing 'non-grainization' of cultivated land to stabilize grain production." The opinion warned that grain production could be destabilized by planting fruit trees and digging fish ponds on permanent cropland or transferring large parcels of cropland to investors planting non-grain crops.