An online fair for farm produce procurement has helped farmers in 20 impoverished counties of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region secure profits from their agri-produce, according to the regional agriculture and rural affairs department Monday.

Agreements with contractual value worth 775 million yuan (about 111 million U.S. dollars) were signed at the fair last week, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Xinjiang regional department.

More than 100 suppliers from Xinjiang brought over 160 varieties of high-quality agricultural products to the fair, which attracted some 60 buyers.

The fair was aimed at benefitting people in the impoverished areas of Xinjiang and helping offset the impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural sector, as well as helping the agrarian counties set up long-term sales channels.

Nearly 3 million residents were lifted out of poverty in Xinjiang from 2014 to 2019, with the region's poverty rate decreasing to 1.24 percent in 2019 from 19.4 percent in 2013. The remaining poverty-stricken population will all be lifted out of poverty this year, according to the information office of the regional government.