On September 5, 2026, the 8th China Grain Trade Conference and Expo grandly opened at the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center. As the highest-level, largest, and most far-reaching national comprehensive exhibition in China's grain industry, this year's event is being held in Hunan for the first time since its inception in 2018. Themed "Uniting Strengths for Grain Security, Integrating Production and Sales for Development," the expo comprehensively showcases the latest achievements in the high-quality development of China's grain industry and explores new opportunities for its future growth.
The event is hosted by the Grain Trade Coordination Center of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, and organized by the Grain Industry Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the National Grain Hunan Trading Center. The expo features six core segments: the opening ceremony, the High-Quality Products and Technical Equipment Exhibition, production and sales matchmaking and promotion, investment promotion and contract signing, dedicated grain trading sessions, and concurrent thematic events. These segments provide in-depth coverage of the entire industry chain, from grain production and storage to processing and consumption. From premium grain source bases in the fields to modern warehousing and logistics systems, and further to deep processing and terminal brand building, the expo has built an efficient and seamless matchmaking platform for upstream and downstream enterprises, effectively driving the extension, supplementation, and strengthening of the grain industry chain.
In terms of scale and layout, the exhibition covers approximately 95,000 square meters and features 13 themed zones, including the Preface Hall, Hunan Special Exhibition Zone, Consumption Assistance Zone for Regions Lifted out of Poverty, High-Quality Grain and Oil Products Zone, Grain and Oil Machinery and Equipment Zone, International Zone, University Talent Achievement Zone, Scientific Research Zone, Financial Services Zone, Gourmet Tasting Zone, Livestreaming Zone, Promotion Zone, and Business Negotiation Zone. The International Zone, spanning 3,000 square meters, focuses on foreign trade matchmaking and international cooperation, providing a vital window for global grain enterprises to share opportunities in the Chinese market and build a stable and secure global grain supply chain. Notably, the establishment of the University Talent Achievement Zone and the Scientific Research Zone highlights the core driving role of technological innovation and talent cultivation in the grain industry, while the Financial Services Zone offers robust financial support to help grain enterprises overcome financing challenges and achieve scaled development. Meanwhile, the Gourmet Tasting Zone directly engages end consumers, vividly demonstrating the upgrading trends and diversified demands on the grain consumption front.
As the host, Hunan province took the opportunity to showcase the robust strength of its "Granary of China" status. Four provincial-level regional public brands—"Dongting Fragrant Rice," "Hunan Rapeseed Oil," "Huxiang Coarse Grains," and "Hunan Rice Noodles"—made a collective debut, presenting the unique advantages and brand-building achievements of Hunan's grain industry to buyers from across the country. This is not only a comprehensive review of Hunan's High-Quality Grain Project, but also a vivid microcosm of the Chinese grain industry's stride towards branding, premiumization, and green development.
Meanwhile, staying true to its social responsibilities, the expo concurrently hosted the 6th National Exhibition and Sales Fair for High-Quality and Specialty Grain and Oil Products from Regions Lifted out of Poverty, focusing on promoting specialty grain and oil products from these areas. Through industrial assistance and precise production-sales matchmaking, the event effectively transformed the ecological and resource advantages of these regions into economic benefits, continuously boosting comprehensive rural revitalization through the high-quality development of the grain industry.
To enhance trading efficiency and interactive experiences, the expo has set up professional livestreaming rooms to empower enterprises with online live-selling capabilities, opening up new channels for integrated online and offline development. Leveraging the National Grain Trading Platform, the event organized face-to-face matchmaking and negotiations between production and sales enterprises to ensure the effective implementation of cooperation. In addition, provinces including Xinjiang, Shaanxi, and Jiangsu held dedicated promotion sessions during the expo to further promote cross-regional grain production and sales cooperation and achieve complementary advantages.
Since its inception in 2018, the China Grain Trade Conference and Expo has been successfully held for seven sessions in Heilongjiang, Henan, Fujian, Hubei, and Liaoning, playing an irreplaceable role in promoting grain circulation, deepening production and sales cooperation, and boosting rural revitalization. The three-day event will run until September 7. Grain enterprises, industry institutions, and buyers from across the country have gathered in Star City to witness this annual grand gathering of the grain industry. Looking ahead, the expo will continue to leverage its platform advantages as a national comprehensive exhibition, contributing greater efforts to safeguarding national food security and promoting quality and efficiency improvements in the grain industry.