BEIJING, April 30 -- China's imports and exports of agricultural products rose 11.5 percent year on year during the first quarter (Q1) of this year, official data showed.

The country's foreign trade of farm produce stood at 83.38 billion U.S. dollars in the first three months of 2023, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

China's farm produce imports jumped 13.2 percent year on year to 59.88 billion dollars during the period, while its exports of agricultural products hit 23.5 billion dollars, up 7.4 percent from the same period of 2022.

The country's trade deficit for farm produce climbed 17.2 percent year on year to 36.38 billion dollars in the same period, the data also revealed.