Orange farmers cash in on livestreaming

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

Zhu Fengju assists local villagers in selling oranges through livestreaming, creating a new sales channel and more income opportunities for local farmers.

Zhu began her e-commerce venture in 2008, initially selling toys and daily necessities. By 2017, her store's sales of a body warming patch surpassed 10 million, securing the top spot on Taobao's sales list. This success has equipped her with extensive knowledge in the e-commerce sales chain.

Launched in November, Zhijiang Oranges assists local farmers in selling their products via livestream. To date, Zhu has sold over 110,000 kilograms using this method. With an average of 20,000 kilograms per household, this effectively addressed the sales challenges for six orange farmers.

Despite a seemingly easy life portrayed on TikTok, Zhu's reality is quite demanding. "Nearly half of this month is spent in the orange grove, searching for fruit and shooting videos during the day. Livestreaming until two or three o'clock in the morning is a common occurrence," Zhu said.

Fortunately, a local e-commerce supply chain is in place. Zhu collaborates with the Zhijiang Lujianlin Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative. She manages sales and after-sales, while Lujianlin handles picking, cleaning, quality control, packaging, and delivery.

Since last year, this cooperative model has become the primary mode for orange e-commerce in Yichang. Lujianlin hosts 16 e-commerce companies, processing up to 20,000 orders daily at their peak.

A local farmer who has benefited from the increase in e-commerce remarked, "In the past, orange prices were determined solely by distributors. But now, thanks to online sales, it's in the hands of the farmers and the market."