China's rural farming business people who live in some of the country's less fortunate regions are starting to see their livelihood grow as e-commerce firms are developing programs to help rural farmers grow their small businesses.
Wuyi County, in particular, is one of Hebei Province's poorest regions. Over the past few years, Beijing worked to help rural farmers make breakthroughs in the organic farming sector. According to Eco-Business News, e-commerce platforms also helped improve business transactions through training and profit-centric programs.
In JD.com, free-range chickens are gaining traction among urban buyers. Through the e-commerce platform's "Running Chicken" initiative, rural farmers are gradually getting alleviated and profits are growing moderately.
Aside from "Running Chicken," JD also launched the "Swimming Duck" program for farmers in Jiangsu Province. The two programs are aimed at helping rural farmers earn more. These also target the promotion of farm produce from countryside regions in China.
"The project showcases how e-e-commerce can benefit society as a whole by alleviating poverty while bringing high-quality, safer, and better-tasting produce to consumers," key projects lead of JD fresh food sourcing, Xiaowen Liu, said of the initiatives.
Studies have revealed that free-range chickens, or those that are allowed to roam around spacious areas, have improved taste and have higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids and proteins. This means such chickens are better for human health.
Aside from JD.com, Pinduoduo also announced plans to establish 1,000 plantations within the next five years in a bid to help the Chinese government in its anti-poverty efforts and schemes.
According to Xinhua, JD rival Pinduoduo said it plans to build agricultural plantations in northwest and southwest China. The plan is to sell products from these poorer regions to over 400 million online consumers who shop through the platform.
Pinduoduo has opted to go the extra mile in its assistance for rural farmers. It also plans to offer incentives to ensure that farmers' interests are protected accordingly. Training will also be offered to interested entrepreneurs.
Over the past couple of years, Beijing has been working with Chinese business giants in hopes of helping small farmers and rural agriculture entrepreneurs. Cheap loans have been provided and, agricultural subsidies and financial grants have been offered to help improve living conditions for farming communities.
Farmers in poorer Chinese regions have also been introduced to innovative farming practices that should help ease their burdens. Government funding and investments from several Chinese firms have also supported rural revitalization in the country.
