In Huashan Village of Mulan County, northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province, Chen Lili is livestreaming the most recent rice harvest, getting in touch with customers nationwide utilizing her mobile phone.
I when imagined escaping the countryside, said Chen.
After finishing from university in 2016, she spent numerous years working in Beijings online media industry.In December 2021, Chen attempted livestreaming her home towns rice for the first time.
To her surprise, 6,000 orders was available in within hours.
That minute made me realize that selling farming items doesnt always require a big company simply a smart device and genuine storytelling, she said.In May 2022, she made a life-altering decision she picked to leave her urban profession and embark on a brand-new journey in her hometown, where she might also take pleasure in some much-needed household time.
It took a lot of guts.
My partner had to give up his job in Beijing.
We didnt understand if we d prosper, she recalled.Initially, her videos had a hard time to get traction.
When she began recording her journey from city life to rural entrepreneurship, it struck a chord with viewers.
In just a couple of months, her fan count increased to over one million.Chenskm success didnt stop at online sales.
In 2023, she began signing rice procurement contracts with regional farmers, motivating them to grow higher-quality rice varieties.
She promised to buy back the harvest at ensured prices.By 2024, she expanded the program to 400 hectares, benefiting 90 farming families and increasing their cumulative earnings by 1.8 million yuan (almost $250,000).
Ma Xiuying, a villager in Huashan, was among the beneficiaries.
I have about 13 hectares of land.
Last year, I grew the variety Chen advised on half of it, and she bought everything as guaranteed.
This year, Im planting all 13 hectares with that range, Ma said.From the fertile plains of northeastern China to the misty mountains of the southwest, a wave of digital change is sweeping across rural China, empowering farmers with wise technology to enhance performance and increase their incomes.Thousands of miles away, in the mountainous town of Xigui in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province, another improvement is underway.
Understood for its premium Puer tea, Xigui has actually embraced drones and digital platforms to improve its conventional tea industry.At 10 a.m., newly selected tea leaves from tea farmer Hao Chengpings plantation are lifted into the air by a drone.
Simply minutes later, they touch down at the neighboring processing.
It utilized to take an hour to carry them down the mountain by foot.
Now it takes three minutes by drone, she said.
The faster we process the leaves, the better the taste.
In the past, heavy baskets of tea leaves would be transported down steep trails, causing oxidation and quality loss.
This spring, the local authorities introduced drones to cover 170 hectares of high-mountain tea gardens.
As a result, the loss rate for fresh leaves dropped from 15 percent to just 1 percent.Ye Chenxi, a professional drone operator, stated their drones can carry up to 50 kilograms and take a trip 4 to 5 kilometers, dramatically improving logistics efficiency.At the exact same time, tea grower Cheng Benfu is livestreaming to offer the tea.
As soon as shy and reserved, he now with confidence showcases his fresh tea leaves and brewing methods in front of the video camera.
Look at these buds just chose this morning and flown in by drone, he informed his viewers.
If you put your order now, well process and deliver it within two days.
Through livestreaming, clients can see the production process in real-time, from leaf to cup.
The scent of the mountains is now simply a click away, Cheng smiled.The integration of livestreaming and drone shipment not just improves efficiency but also opens brand-new sales channels and reduces waste.
From the rice fields of Heilongjiang to the tea mountains of Yunnan, the fusion of custom and technology is bringing brand-new opportunities to Chinas rural heartland.
We attach great significance to the function of e-commerce in promoting high-quality financial development at the county level and advancing rural revitalization, said Li Bo, deputy head of Mulan.
We are likewise actively exploring the new chauffeurs and potential of e-commerce in promoting consumer demand, upgrading consumption, and promoting industrial clustering, the authorities added.(Cover: Rice fields in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China./ VCG)