"Everyone, take a look—today we not only have high-altitude cold-water rice from our Gushuiping Village but also kudzu root slices, dried daylily flowers, and cured meat from other villages. All are authentic mountain products!" At 7 p.m., Pi Yuancheng, Party branch secretary of Gushuiping Village in Wangjiafan Town, Yidu City, Hubei Province, appeared punctually in a Douyin livestream. He skillfully showcased the products while interacting with viewers effortlessly. Within two hours, over 60 orders of mountain goods were sold.
This ease didn’t come easily. In recent years, Wangjiafan Town, rich in local products, seized the opportunity of livestreaming to sell agricultural goods, nurturing several village-level accounts with strong sales capabilities and high popularity.
High popularity brought new challenges. Villages operated independently, with products in livestreams limited to their own "small plots." Seasonal shortages, small-scale production, and high logistics costs became bottlenecks hindering the development of village livestreaming.
To address these pain points, in April this year, Wangjiafan Town established a task force to conduct in-depth surveys across villages. After multiple rounds of research and analysis, they identified the core issue: "We must build a platform to shift from fragmented operations to integrated development and act as the 'logistical steward' for village livestreaming," said Yang Falin, the town’s Party secretary.
With a clear plan, action followed swiftly. The town fully funded the establishment of a professional operations platform centered on a state-owned company. Soon after, the "Rural Cloud Market" platform went live, creating a unified network for selling the town’s specialty agricultural products.
An efficient procurement and delivery system is key to the platform’s success. The procurement team posts demand for mountain goods in WeChat groups daily. Once villages respond, the team coordinates with village officials to collect products at designated times.
"We focus on supporting farmers, so profits only cover basic operations. Our purchase prices are about 10% higher than market rates, which makes villagers eager to sell to us," said Li Yang, the platform’s director.
After procurement, the platform issues purchase orders to village committees, settling accounts monthly. Villages then distribute payments to farmers. "Before, these goods were just for personal consumption. Now, we can sell nationwide without leaving the village. Payments arrive on time, which is reassuring," said Pan Haiyan, a villager from Maohutang Village.
The "Rural Cloud Market" not only consolidates agricultural products but also standardizes village livestreaming operations. The town launched a unified Douyin account, "Wangfan Mountain Goods Selection Store," allowing villages to share over 30 types of products and streamline after-sales services. Standardized livestreaming guidelines were also introduced, alongside systematic training to cultivate local livestreaming talent.
Since its trial run, the platform has achieved remarkable results. Livestream sales of agricultural products reached nearly 150,000 yuan, with over 4,000 kg of goods sold. Logistics costs dropped by more than 15%, and annual sales are expected to exceed 1 million yuan. Yang Falin noted that future efforts will focus on improving storage, logistics, and direct farmer payment mechanisms, expanding the "Wangfan Mountain Goods" brand to boost rural revitalization.
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