E-commerce boosts rural industry

Translator and Editor: Tan Maolin, Yichang International Communication Studio
Journalist: Jie Xingwei, Three Gorges Daily

E-commerce has become the primary retail channel for Yichang agricultural products, both domestically and internationally. The Municipal Bureau of Commerce reports that there are currently over 7,000 agriculture-related e-commerce companies in the city, with a total annual turnover exceeding 10 billion yuan (US$1.38 billion).

Smartphones have become essential tools for many Yichang farmers, enabling them to connect with consumers through livestreaming and increase transactions on e-commerce platforms.

On April 2, at 4 pm, Chu Feng E-commerce Co., Ltd. began livestreaming on Douyin from an orange orchard in Zigui County.

"Guys, this Lunwan orange is a specialty of Zigui County. Its flesh is tender and juicy, and you will love it," said anchor Li Fenglin, displaying the freshly picked Lunwan oranges and responding to viewers' questions.

On April 11, workers at Juyuan Citrus Professional Cooperative in Zhijiang were harvesting and packaging Lunwan oranges for nationwide distribution.

"In addition to selling local oranges, we also purchase agricultural products from all over the country, which are packaged in the cooperative and then sold nationwide through online platforms," said Zhou Dainian, chairman of the cooperative. He added that in the first quarter of this year, the cooperative generated over 30 million yuan in revenue from e-commerce sales.

As Lunwan oranges ripen, Zigui's Hubei Xinyongtai Agricultural Development Co. shifts into "busy season" mode, delivering oranges across the country. "Consumers love these oranges, and the price of a single orange exceeds 8 yuan," said Yan Yong, general manager of the company. Yan also mentioned that in the first quarter of this year, the company sold over 2,000 tons of high-quality navel oranges, with sales exceeding 30 million yuan.

Shi Lei, deputy director of Zigui County Science, Technology, Economy and Information Technology Bureau, revealed that Zigui has more than 2,600 e-commerce enterprises and over 8,100 online stores. Additionally, there are over 60,000 people employed in e-commerce-related jobs, and the total annual sales exceed 4 billion yuan.

During this year's Tomb Sweeping holiday, Dangyang's topmouth culter fish became a highly sought-after product on the "Dangyang Selection" e-commerce platform, with over 2,000 orders in just three days. "It was previously sold by the weight, but now is sold by each fish. Since the fish was listed on the 'Dangyang Selection' platform, the business is getting better," said Zhang Xianwen, the head of Fengchong Reservoir, where the fish are caught.

The government-funded "Dangyang Selection" platform was launched in October 2023. It currently showcases over 100 Dangyang products, including rice, flour, grain, oil, fruits, vegetables, and preserved meat products.

The platform offers various services along the e-commerce value chain, such as incubating Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and launching e-commerce livestreaming. It has nurtured a new generation of farmers who are experts in livestreaming e-commerce.