Chinese merger and acquisition deals in agriculture have reached a record $9.8 billion so far this year, a seven-fold jump from 2013, according to international financial software company Dealogic PLC.

Dealogic statistics showed that by the start of September, Chinese enterprises made 27 deals in the field of agriculture with a large number of overseas deals, reported the Economic Information Daily.

Fu Xuejun, analyst at Huarong Securities Co Ltd, said mergers and acquisitions in agriculture will be an important area of Chinese investment going forward and is also an aspect of the national development strategy.

As the demand for Chinese agricultural transformation and upgrade increases, more and more Chinese agricultural enterprises are working out a strategy for vertical integration in the supply chain to not only ensure food security but also to develop internationally and become global operations, Fu said.

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