China to expand marketing channels of farm produce from poor areas

BEIJING - China will expand marketing channels of agricultural goods produced in poor regions in a bid to help with the country's poverty eradication campaign, an official statement said Tuesday.

China will encourage wholesalers, e-commerce companies and supermarkets to establish stable and long-term cooperative relationships with impoverished villages with the potential to develop the agricultural sector, according to a plan released by 10 agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce.

The country will also support direct purchase of farm produce from poor regions by universities, hospitals, canteens of public institutions and trading platforms, the plan said.

Logistics in the poor areas should be improved, while cold chain facilities should be established at the production bases of agricultural goods to support better storage, the plan said.

Tuesday's plan came after the release of State Council guidelines earlier this month that encourage the consumption of goods and services provided by people living under the poverty line.

The battle against poverty is one of the "three tough battles" that China must win to build a moderately prosperous society by 2020. To achieve the goal, the country needs to lift around 30 million poor residents in rural areas out of poverty between 2018 and 2020.