Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-01-31
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| A farmer in Shandong takes photos of cabbages for his online store. (Photo/Xinhua) |
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| A farmer shows off his online produce store. (Photo/Xinhua) |
But Wang
hasn't had to travel a single mile to purchase her goods. In fact, she hasn't
even had to leave her bedroom.
"With
a single click of the mouse, specialty foods from around China can be put in my
online shopping basket. Most importantly, they are authentic, organic and
quality-ensured," the Beijing native said with a smile.
Hundreds of
miles away in the village of Zhangjiagou in north China's Shanxi province,
farmer Wang Xiaobang is smiling too. Sales at his online farm produce shop have
been soaring, with the number of transactions reaching 200 per day.
Wang opened
his online shop in 2008 after working as a migrant worker in Beijing for six
years. With monthly net profits of 80,000 yuan (US$13,000), Wang has become a
successful online farm produce vendor.
"I
didn't expect agricultural products to sell so well online. I just wanted to
bring fresh produce grown by our villagers to more customers," said the
36-year-old Wang. "Now I am convinced that the online market is really
huge and the internet can play a big role in the countryside."
WIN-WIN
DEAL
The story
of the two Wangs is just one example of China's booming online farm produce
market. More and more urbanites are shopping for groceries online to ensure a
healthy diet.
A report
released by the Alibaba Group in January revealed that sales of agricultural
products on Taobao and Tmall, the country's biggest online retail stores,
totaled 19.8 billion yuan (US$3.14 billion) in 2012. An average of 20,000
Chinese families buy farm produce online everyday.
Tea is the
most popular item, according to the report, with daily trade exceeding 7
million yuan (US$1.1 million). Tea is followed in popularity by dates, nuts and
honey products. Fresh fruit and seafood have registered the fastest growth,
with annual sales quadrupling last year.
The number
of farmers who have chosen to hawk their products online has grown as well,
with 1.71 million online farm produce vendors by the end of 2011, according to
a report from the Information Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences.
"This
is a win-win situation, both for customers and farmers," said China
E-Commerce Research Center analyst Zhang Zhouping. "On the one hand, it
can satisfy urban consumers' desire to eat safely and healthily; on the other
hand, it can further promote the use of technology in rural areas and increase
farmers' incomes."
A series of
food safety scandals that have shattered consumer confidence have made it
difficult for consumers to trust street vendors or even established brands.
"Online
shopping can actually increase transparency and mutual trust," said Wang
Sijia. "You can tell where and how the products are made through online
videos, pictures and farm licenses posted by the farmers themselves, all of
which are unavailable when purchasing through traditional means."
The direct
link between buyers and producers also helps both sides get rid of intermediary
surcharges, which have pushed up food prices while gobbling up the bulk of
farmers' profits, she added.
BRIDGING
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
The surge
in the number of online customers has changed the lifestyles of farmers and
sped up the application of modern technology in rural areas. For years, Chinese
farmers drove their three-wheeled vehicles to sell produce in outdoor markets.
Now, they take to their computer keyboards to sell their wares.
"Farmers
used to be vulnerable to market forces, since information was controlled by
agricultural traders in big companies. Through e-commerce, farmers can have
direct access to information and a wide channel to sell their products. This
business mode is the basis of modern Chinese agriculture," said Wang
Xiangdong, director of the Research Center of Information at the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences.
After
internet access was made available in his village, Wang Xiaobang learned how to
open his own online shop, create photo feeds for customers and cooperate with
express delivery companies to transport fresh produce. He also trained local
villagers to help him expand his online business.
The village
of Qingyanliu in the coastal city of Yiwu is home to many farmers like Wang
Xiaobang. Known as China's "biggest e-commerce village," the area is
home to nearly 2,000 online shops and about 20 express delivery companies that
transport goods across the country.
The online
trading boom in Qingyanliu has also attracted many migrant workers, who have
learned about e-commerce in big cities in order to return home and ride the
online wave.
"The
local government needs to further improve information technology infrastructure
in rural areas to encourage the sustainable development of rural e-commerce
while providing more internet training courses for farmers," suggested
Wang Xiangdong.
"As
more urbanites benefit from purchasing agricultural products across the
country, farmers are also benefiting from accessing information through
e-commerce like city dwellers," he said.
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