Tang, also former secretary of the ruling Communist Party in the ministry, was removed from the website roster of its leadership last May and expelled from the party six months later.

The charges, filed in the northeastern province of Jilin, accuse Tang of using his high-ranking positions to seek benefits for others and illegally accept “especially large sums” of money and property, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said.

It did not specify the exact amount involved.

Reuters could not reach Tang to seek comment.

From 2017 to 2020, Tang was governor of the northwestern province of Gansu before becoming minister, official biographies show.

As minister, Tang led efforts to beef up food security, approving the use of genetically-modified crops and rolling out a food security law.