Shenzhen residents lend helping hand to ‘stranded’ potato vendor

Several Shenzhen locals have extended a helping hand to a potato vendor from Qinghai province who has been “stranded” in Shenzhen with 32 tons of potatoes since Nov. 5. Since the potato vendor's story began to circulate online, many citizens have gone to buy his potatoes. Now, the 32 tons of potatoes are nearly sold out.

In the early hours of Nov. 15, a reporter for Southern Metropolis Daily saw Mr. Ma, the vendor, helping customers to carry potatoes. A number of people who lived or worked nearby were buying his potatoes on the street.

Mr. Ma, 60, planted 20 hectares of potatoes in April. In order to sell the potatoes at the best price possible, he contacted a business partner in Shenzhen. The two agreed on a price and conditions of the sale. On Nov. 1, Mr. Ma hired a truck to transport 32 tons of potatoes from his home in northwestern China down to the southern city of Shenzhen.

"The freight cost was 600 RMB per ton, and I spent more than 18,000 RMB in all. But when I arrived in Shenzhen, the man said my potatoes did not meet size specifications, meaning that they were not suitable for sale in the market. So I unloaded the potatoes here," Mr. Ma explained.

"Our boss felt we needed to offer a helping hand to the man, so he asked us to buy some potatoes here,” one customer said. "We bought some to help him get back home sooner."

According to local residents who went to buy Ma's potatoes recently, the potatoes were virtually sold out, with only a few remaining.

“People are still contacting him to see if they can buy more,” one resident said.