Yichang farmers adopt live streaming to promote goods

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

 

Yang Chuanxin, a 46-year-old farmer in Yichang, is taking advantage of China’s live streaming boom to promote his agricultural and sideline products.

 

Yang runs an online store selling agricultural and sideline products. By purchasing goods from farmers at a fair price, the store has achieved annual sales of 350,000 yuan (US$50,715), bringing in hundreds of thousands of yuan for the villagers.

 

Six years ago, Yang noticed that agricultural products from Guizhou in Southwest China are popular on Douyin, a Chinese online platform, similar to TikTok, for sharing short videos. This inspired him to open his own online store to sell the agricultural and sideline products of Yuan'an, Yichang that he believes are just as good as Guizhou's. 

 

Yang’s business was running into trouble at first due to lack of experience. After following his friends' advice of live streaming, he gained the trust of online buyers due to his real image and plain language. His online brand has gradually become popular with over one hundred thousand fans and numerous positive reviews.

 

With a constant increase in buyers, the products quickly sell out. Yang has expanded his planting area to nearly 30 mu (about 5 acres) by renting unused land from those who left the village to work in faraway places. 

 

“Last year, Yang purchased more than 60 chickens from me and helped to sell them,” said Li Denghu, a farmer from Yang’s village. Yang has also cooperated with many farmers in surrounding villages.

 

“I intend to build a processing plant to increase the added value of agricultural products, as well as to provide more jobs for the villagers,” Yang said.