BEIJING — China's farm produce maintained steady growth momentum in foreign trade in the first three quarters of this year.

The trade volume of the country's agriculture products totaled $248.51 billion in the first nine months of 2022, up 10.4 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Exports jumped 21.5 percent over the same period last year, while imports rose 6.4 percent.

China's agriculture sector saw its industrial added value up 4.2 percent year-on-year during the period.

Consumption in the country's rural areas also quickened, with the retail sales of consumer goods rising 0.9 percent year-on-year between January and September, up 1.2 percentage points over that in the first half of this year.