Rural fairs fuel sales

From colorful rural fairs to bustling livestreaming studios, the Golden Autumn Consumption Season has turned the nation's harvest into a feast for both farmers and consumers.

Launched alongside the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival several years ago, the autumn consumption season is now one of its signature events. "Agricultural products should not only be grown well, but also sold well, with good returns for farmers," said Lei Liugong, head of the festival's organizing office, at a news conference in August.

Several sectors have joined over the years to promote consumption in diverse forms, attracting urban residents to the countryside and smoothening the flow between rural supply and urban demand, said Lei, who is also head of the market and information department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

According to the ministry, the event has so far generated more than 130 billion yuan ($18.3 billion) in cumulative agricultural sales and has become the festival highlight known for its strong "holiday flavor, popularity and vibrant consumption".

Boosting consumption has been one of the priorities of China's economic agenda this year. In July, 10 central government departments jointly released an implementation plan to expand agricultural product consumption.

Lei said this year's season features richer content, more benefits for consumers and closer urban-rural connections. For the first time, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has joined as a co-organizer, along with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and the China Media Group.

Running from September to November, the event now links farm produce with cultural and tourism resources, encouraging not only "buying" but also "seeing, playing, learning and creating". The goal is to bring people to the countryside and vitalize the rural consumption market, Lei said.

Industry associations, e-commerce platforms and financial institutions have chipped in with attractive incentives. Six companies, including JD, Pinduoduo and Meituan, have launched promotions with subsidies, internet traffic support and training for merchants while popular livestream anchors have been mobilized to help farmers sell their produce. Eight financial institutions, including the Agricultural Bank of China and the China Construction Bank, are offering consumption vouchers and discount coupons to fuel sales.

Zeng Hao, senior director of public affairs at Pinduoduo, told China Central Television that the company would step up marketing support for quality agricultural products, with 1 billion yuan in subsidies and a 2 billion yuan traffic package to help emerging merchants.

Shen Guoji, an official with the Agriculture Ministry's market and information department, said more than 600,000 merchants are expected to participate. "Through the golden autumn consumption season, we are rolling out practical, people-centered initiatives that tap into rural and urban consumption potential," he said.