Village officials help increase income by promoting tea leaves through livestreams

Officials of a tea-producing village in southwest China's Yunnan Province have taken the lead to promote tea through livestreams, generating wealth for local villagers.

Tucked away in the mountains, Bangmu village, Shuangjiang Lahu, Wa, Bulang and Dai Autonomous County, Lincang city, Yunnan, boasts a tea plantation area of 12,000 mu (800 hectares). In less than 10 months, an online sales team of the village led by Tang Xinglin, Party secretary of the village, has received over 90,000 orders, selling over 30 tonnes of tea leaves with its sales revenue of surpassing 6 million yuan ($82 million).

Photo shows Tang Xinglin during a livestream. (Photo/Yan Xingyong)

In the past, tea processing plants coming to purchase tea leaves always pushed down prices from over 20 yuan per kg to 7-8 yuan during the middle and late periods of the spring tea season.

To sell the tea leaves at a better price, Tang, born in the 1990s, became the first in the village to sell tea leaves through livestreams last year. Tang then invited officials of the village and college graduates who returned to the village to learn sales tactics from professionals.

Starting from four members, the sales team made its debut on Dec. 11, 2022. Thanks to efforts to get a better understanding of the tea flavor of each village group, exploring the village's customs and culture, and launching a tea product priced at 9.9 yuan to attract customers, the livestreams had a peak concurrent viewership of nearly 3,000.

Photo shows the forests and tea plantations of Bangmu village, Shuangjiang Lahu, Wa, Bulang and Dai Autonomous county, Lincang city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yan Xingyong)

"We guarantee the quality of our tea leaves," Tang said. "False or exaggerated claims are not allowed. Everything we said is true." Gradually, the livestreams have boosted the sales of tea leaves.

This past spring, the team negotiated with the tea processing plants, and raised the price of spring tea leaves to 25 yuan per kg. Compared to previous years, tea farmers had increased their income by over 3 million yuan.

The number of team members have since surpassed 20, with six college graduates. "Since we started livestreams, the village’s collective revenue has reached 340,000 yuan. And the village has invested 100 yuan in medical insurance for each villager," said Tang.