In Yongxing town, Haikou, Hainan province, Wu Yuyan engages international audiences via livestreams at her lychee orchard. Utilizing her background in media, Wu entered the agricultural sector in 2022. Her approach integrates digital globalization with lychee cultivation insights, targeting tropical fruit enthusiasts globally.
Since 2023, Wu has produced over 200 bilingual videos, elevating the profile of Haikou's volcanic lychees. She identified inefficiencies in the supply chain and addressed these through bilingual marketing, focusing on reducing price disparities between farm-level and online retail. Her strategy has increased sales by 50 per cent within a year, showcasing the export potential of local produce to international markets.
After analyzing global agricultural influencers, Wu found enhanced engagement with English-language content on platforms like TikTok and RedNote. She developed a three-part content framework featuring educational material about volcanic soil, foreign tasters, and cultural elements of Hainan Island. This approach enabled her to reach a diverse international audience, including the Russian community in Hainan.
Wu's cross-border orders continue to grow, entering developed markets despite logistical challenges. Southeast Asian grocery platforms have noticed this demand, initiating partnership discussions. Her digital presence has encouraged other local farmers to adopt online marketing strategies, setting an example in rural e-commerce.
Yongxing town has supported its e-commerce evolution since 2017 with a strategic initiative focused on "new rural talents." The town developed an e-commerce hub, training thousands of farmers and providing an official media traffic support mechanism. Gao Guanrong of the town's rural revitalization office emphasized the growth of farmer influencers like Wu.
Challenges such as precise translation of farming terms and costly international shipping impact profits. To address this, Wu joined Haikou's "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agricultural Export Incubation Program," which seeks to optimize logistics through policy and corporate collaborations.
Wu's team plans to secure a "volcanic lychee" geographical trademark and consider expanding their model to other local specialties, including Wenchang chicken and Xinglong coffee. Her efforts illustrate the blending of tradition and technology to engage global customers.
Source: China Daily
