Online sales a boost for China’s farmers
Print Edition
AFTER harvesting his potatoes, Hao Jinde saved some for his family and sold the rest, over 500 kilograms, for 600 yuan (US$88).
Instead of setting up a stall on the street, this year Hao sold them to a store belonging to an online shopping platform at his village in Jingle County, a potato growing region in north China’s Shanxi Province.
“Compared with selling to the local guys, I got about 50 yuan more,” Hao said.
Lyu Yaofeng, manager of the platform’s Jingle County branch, said the platform, Lecuntao, could purchase the potatoes at a higher price as they would sell them for a premium to villages hundreds of kilometers away that don’t grow potatoes.
At the same store, Hao and other villagers now have direct access to pears and other produce that can be delivered to their village at below the market price.
“Most of the produce online comes straight from where it is grown, which ensures lower prices,” said Li Erping, manager of the store in Hao’s village.
Lecuntao is an e-commerce platform aimed at the rural market which sets up physical stores in rural villages. Since it was launched in 2014, its physical store network has grown to over 70,000 villages across China.
Rural customers can order online or purchase at the physical stores in their village.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the number of online shops selling agricultural produce exceeded 1 million by September this year, bringing sales to 170 billion yuan, and they are expected to hit over 220 billion by the end of the year; that is 6.3 percent of total online sales, and a 35 percent increase year on year.
When farmers have difficulty selling produce, the Internet is now a major channel that they turn to.
“The Internet concept has changed rural China,” said Fan Wusheng, director of the poverty alleviation office in Jingle County. “With their produce sold online, farmers are now able to make maximum profits.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
