How to sell chestnuts in China?(+case study)

If you want to learn how to sell nuts in China, check this article with this amazing case study.

It is the autonomous and the season of chestnuts, and that even in China. And the particularity of China is to be hyper connected. This particularity is not an exception in the world of Chinese agriculture.

If you want to know more, read the rest of this article.

  • Chinese farmers and their knowledge in e-commerce
  • Liu Dapeng of a Chinese chestnut farmer
  • China’s leading chestnut producer

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Chinese farmers and their knowledge in e-commerce

The knowledge of Chinese farmers in e-commerce allows them to promote their local specialty throughout China, via e-commerce platforms such as Pinduoduo.

In order to revitalize the agricultural sector, Pinduoduo has trained 100,000 new farmers. This has reversed the rural exodus and started new businesses, creating jobs and boosting demand for ancillary services such as packaging and logistics.

The e-commerce platform has pledged to train another 100,000 to boost sales of agricultural products through online channels.

Liu Dapeng of a Chinese chestnut farmer

Liu Dapeng is a chestnut farmer and one of those new hyper-connected farmers. He worked as an accountant before he started selling local produce online in 2015.  In 2016 he opened a store on Pinduoduo specializing in chestnuts. In 2017 he was able to expand his 130000 M2 orchard due to the success of his store.

“I had to learn everything from scratch, from pruning chestnut trees to fertilizing them to controlling pests,” said Liu, who grew up in the city. “Now I’ve mastered everything.”

He now produces 90% of Liaoning’s chestnuts, his growing area is more than 2 million mu and an annual output of 110,000 tons. He receives up to 10,000 orders a day, The harvest and profits are so good that farmers in the vicinity have started to sell their chestnuts to Liu. When they are not busy, they even go to Liu’s orchards to help him.

“I hope to sell chestnuts to more places so that Dandong chestnuts have better brand recognition,” he said. “Then we will have better pricing power and farmers will earn higher incomes.”

China’s leading chestnut producer

With previous experience in e-commerce, Yu topped the sales of the chestnut category on Pinduoduo, the country’s largest agricultural platform. His crop is located in Luotian County, Hubei Province, another major chestnut production area in China. Yu Jie, who returned to his hometown from Beijing in 2014 to sell local products online, is also well known for his chestnut business.

Luotian chestnut is a mainstay industry in the region. It was recognized as a geographical indication (GI) product in 2007. According to Wu Zhizhong, party secretary of Luotian Scientific and Economic Bureau, the chestnut growing area has reached 600,000 mu, with an annual output of more than 50,000 tons, with online sales channels accounting for more than 30%.

E-commerce directly connects Chinese farmers with consumers, so they attach much more importance to the quality of their products. Luotian’s fresh chestnuts spoil very easily, Yu carefully sorts out the bad ones, which can account for 20% of the total. Thanks to this method, Yu’s stores have garnered positive reviews and attracted many repeat customers.

Yu’s business is no longer limited to the fall season. Sales of fresh chestnuts begin in Yunnan Province in July, with the earliest Chinese chestnuts to ripen and reach the market, followed by those from Anhui Province in early August. Even chestnut wholesalers in Dandong sell their produce through it. In 2020, Yu’s stores were receiving up to 30,000 orders a day.

Today, Luotian has become a mecca for the chestnut industry, selling not only fresh chestnuts but also chestnut products.

In conclusion

Pinduoduo’s investment in the agricultural industry is now bearing fruit. The farmers reach a much wider target audience and the consumers are guaranteed to have better quality products.

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