With the recent COVID-19 outbreak and the inevitable lock-downs, quarantines, and shutting down of logistics and transportation, many farmers in China found themselves without the ability to sell their produce and at the risk of all their hard work rotting away in the fields.

In order to help farmers, especially those from remote rural areas, sell their produce an event named “fight battles, help farmers” (“战疫助农”) was jointly launched by douyin (aka Tik Tok), xigua and toutiao. Town mayors and other rural government leaders joined in as well.

More than 53,000 Kg of apples were sold in three hours by one village leader in Shanxi province; nearly 50,000 Kg oranges were sold by a vice mayor in Guangdong in a single live show; and on the 16th of April, in Hubei, 100,000 units of lotus root were sold within 15 seconds by a user who managed to get 8.9 million followers to his account.

Approximately CNY 200 million of produce was sold online through live streaming so far this year and fruit, fish, vegetables, and local delicacies are now selling daily on China’s live streaming networks.