China Development Bank Agricultural Lending Rises 111% to 25.9 Billion Yuan in H1 2026

The China Development Bank (CDB) issued 25.9 billion yuan in agricultural loans during the first half of 2026, representing a 111% year-on-year increase, according to People's Daily. The capital surge financed high-standard farmland, marine aquaculture, saline-alkali land remediation, and seed research facilities like Nanjing's Zhongshan Laboratory. Looking ahead, CDB plans to align its medium- and long-term financing with objectives outlined in China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan for Agricultural and Rural Modernization.

China Development Bank's more than doubling of agricultural lending demonstrates intense state mobilization of capital to secure national food supply chains, modernize rural infrastructure, and achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology.

The China Development Bank (CDB) issued 25.9 billion yuan in agricultural loans during the first half of 2026, marking a 111% year-on-year increase, according to state media outlet People's Daily. The state-owned policy bank directed this capital toward high-standard farmland construction, modern facility agriculture, agricultural technology modernization, and state farm reclamation zone development. In farmland quality improvement, CDB deployed specialized farmland construction loans to finance irrigation upgrades, agricultural protection works, ecological and smart farmland infrastructure, and saline-alkali land remediation tailored to regional conditions. In Fuqing, Fujian province, where farmland had suffered from abandonment due to inadequate irrigation, land fragmentation, and low yields, the CDB Fujian branch established a multi-party work group. The initiative instituted a land transfer mechanism bringing together local governments, enterprises, village collectives, and farmers to restore abandoned land and convert dry cropland into paddy fields. In townships such as Longtian, projects systematically addressed land leveling, road repairs, and irrigation networks. Zhou Xinyang, a relationship manager at the bank's Fujian branch, noted that the project implemented a "rice-vegetable rotation" model—growing rice from March to August and vegetables from September to February—to naturally condition the soil while boosting local incomes. Beyond terrestrial agriculture, CDB extended financing into marine fisheries and ocean ranching. In Huludao, Liaoning province, CDB's Liaoning branch provided a combination of policy-based financial instruments and medium- to long-term loans to upgrade local marine ranches. The project combined artificial reef placement with bottom-seeding techniques, prioritizing shellfish cultivation while upgrading coastal fishing ports and cold-chain logistics facilities. In seed industry development, CDB utilized investment-loan linkages to back key seed technology breakthroughs, smart breeding platforms, and national breeding bases. At the Zhongshan Laboratory in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, which has launched 15 independent research initiatives across rice, wheat, and soybeans since 2022, CDB provided phased project financing to support the full chain from basic research to commercial translation. Looking ahead, a representative from CDB's Rural Revitalization Department stated that the bank will align its long-term agricultural financing with the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan for Agricultural and Rural Modernization.