Rural consumer rights protection should not become a blind spot; farmers' legitimate rights and interests need to be safeguarded

In recent years, as farmers' living standards have continued to improve, the rural consumer market has become increasingly active. Compared with cities, farmers are more likely to fall into "consumption traps" and suffer from counterfeit and shoddy goods. However, because many farmers lack legal knowledge, have weak awareness of rights protection, and because safeguarding rights requires considerable time and cost, most rural consumers choose to accept their losses after their consumer rights are infringed upon, and rural consumer rights protection has become a "blind spot" that urgently needs attention.

To safeguard farmers' consumer rights and make up for the shortcomings in rural consumer rights protection, first, efforts should be made to build a rural rights protection system. In response to the weaknesses of rural consumers, such as low ability to identify counterfeit and shoddy goods and immature consumption concepts, relevant rights protection departments should strengthen their proactive awareness, integrate departmental forces, and increase work intensity. Departments such as industry and commerce, quality and technical supervision, agriculture, and consumers associations should establish safeguard mechanisms for farmers' rights protection and keep abreast of relevant information in a timely manner.

Second, publicity should be strengthened to raise farmers' awareness of rights protection. Many rural consumers do not have the habit of asking for purchase receipts when buying goods, and when safeguarding their rights they do not know which department to contact. Some farmers want to complain, but because the goods are of small value, they find it troublesome, or they fear missing farming seasons, they are unwilling to safeguard their rights. In response to these circumstances, targeted efforts should be strengthened, publicity of laws and regulations such as the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests should be increased, and farmers should be helped to enhance their awareness of rights protection, self-protection, and risk prevention, promptly complain and report problems to relevant departments, and preserve evidence and materials to protect their lawful interests.

Third, guidance needs to be strengthened to effectively solve the specific difficulties farmers face in safeguarding their rights. Relevant departments should base their work on reality, do their best to solve the practical difficulties existing in farmers' rights protection, and strive to let the people safeguarding their rights make fewer trips and benefit more.