A livestreaming session is held to assist Tongzhou farmers to sell their products. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Agricultural product merchants have embarked on a new path to transform their sales channels in the last few years – using livestreaming marketing in particular, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agriculture and rural affairs bureau of Tongzhou district – in Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – has worked with the district's integrated media center to launch a livestreaming campaign to benefit farmers.

It aims to help producers overcome the difficulties in traditional marketing posed by the pandemic, as well as to raise the profile of Tongzhou's agricultural sector and agrarian products.

On May 9, a livestreaming session was held on the Chang Yisen family farm in Shizong town, with 300 or so watermelons selling out in just half an hour.

"It was unexpected that so many people bought our products through livestreaming," said Chang Yisen, owner of the farm.

In addition to selling products, this year technologies, policies and services to help agricultural production will be rolled out to farmers.

The livestreaming campaign is used in all sorts of ways to plug the products.

"How to make Lengzheng, a popular Nantong seasonal snack, was taught to young people through livestreaming on April 24," said Zhang Dashi, deputy head of the Tongzhou agriculture and rural affairs bureau.

To date, the bureau has held 12 livestreaming events this year, benefitting farmers and attracting thousands of viewers.