Rice fields in Yuanyang

Yuanyang red rice, a rice variety with a long history in Yuanyang County, southwestern China’s Yunnan province, has contributed a lot to local poverty relief, as it sells well on the Taobao platform launched by Internet giant Alibaba, China News reported on Sept. 5.

The 1,300-year-old Honghe Hani Terrace fields occupy more than 28,000 acres of land, yielding nutritious-rich red rice due to favorable water quality and natural environment.

A total of 7,500 kilograms of the rice was sold out in 12 hours on the online shopping platform, creating considerable income for the local villagers.

The county has 92 poor villages involving 40,000 registered poverty-stricken families and 150,000 people, was even included in the national plan for poverty alleviation through development.

However, the county’s cooperation with the Taobao platform altered the situation by selling local high-quality agricultural products online.

An employee from the local food bureau noted that the e-commerce platform not only provides a way for the local villagers to sell red rice, but new ideas to overcome poverty.