E-commerce helps farmers shake off poverty

According to Ge, in the first half of this year, e-commerce retail sales across the country reached 4.08 trillion yuan, among which more than 2.7 trillion yuan was spent via mobile apps. A total of 569 million people shopped online. The online retail sales in China's rural areas totaled 632 billion yuan.

It is estimated that the transaction volume of social interaction e-commerce will surpass 1.1 trillion yuan this year, Ge said.

"E-commerce should play an important role in the process of poverty alleviation. Currently, rural e-commerce is becoming an important promoter of rural economic development. In e-commerce poverty alleviation, we should make full use of the advantages of the social media community, and promote the rapid circulation of online and offline products in poverty-stricken areas, thus boosting farmers' income," said Yao Guanghui, director of the office.

Gao Yunfu, a farmer from Huichang county, East China's Jiangxi province, is among the farmers that have benefited from social media.

After working at a high-tech company in Shanghai for seven years, Gao decided in 2008 to go back to its hometown, a poverty-stricken area.

Sensing huge opportunities in the bamboo fungus industry, he started a business and devoted himself to research and development.

During this year's Singles Day shopping gala on Nov 11, his bamboo fungus was promoted and sold by livestreaming internet celebrities.

"A total of 600 to 700 boxes of bamboo fungus were sold that day alone, which was much higher than our average sales volume," said Gao.

The promotion event was part of the CECA Poverty Alleviation Office's broader efforts to help to raise Huichang county out of poverty through e-commerce.

"E-commerce, including this promotion event, has great significance for the farmers, which goes beyond improving sales revenue," Gao said.

The burgeoning e-commerce sector has been promoting the bamboo fungus industry, he said.

"It turns a food type not currently in vogue into a popular product. The popularity also helps farmers to avoid serious losses in the slack season or an uneven market," he added.

Gao, along with the Poverty Alleviation Office, is also striving to help local farmers to shake off poverty.

According to him, a total of 100 local farmers are now planting bamboo fungus, and more than 4,000 people have received free training so far.