Zhong Mingming, Secretary of a municipal Party Committee in Wenchang, south China’s Hainan province, helped sell 40,000 kg of local pineapples in one hour by hosting a live broadcast on the e-commerce platform Taobao on Feb. 24 that attracted over 750,000 viewers, www.chinanews.com reported.

Zhong is one of many government officials who have turned to live-streaming videos to sell agricultural products amid the pneumonia outbreak.

A Dong (right), mayor of Sanya, sells local mangoes in a live broadcast. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

“I hope to bring fruits to more consumers and help farmers increase their income,” said A Dong, mayor of Sanya, Hainan province, who used a live broadcast to help sell local mangoes.

E-commerce giant JD has also introduced live broadcasts for government officials to help them sell vegetables and fruits for farmers. At least 10 officials from various parts of China have sold local products such as strawberries and sweet melons on the platform.

As an emergency measure amid the epidemic, live-streaming videos have not only helped sell agricultural products, but also demonstrate the government’s support for the industry, said Zhou Wei, a professor at the School of Politics and Public Administration, Hainan University.