Only by keenly grasping market demand can agricultural planting thrive unexpectedly

Jiufeng Town in Lechang City, Guangdong Province, is a specialized fruit-growing town. The Lufeng Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative, with 600 members, more than 12,000 mu of orchards and more than 3,000 mu of vegetable gardens, is not only the leader in the town, but has also attracted many "study groups" because it has ranked among national-level demonstration cooperatives and Guangdong Province famous trademarks. However, back in 2007, this cooperative, which started with 26,000 yuan raised internally by members, was still declared "doomed to collapse." In the view of chairman Pan Guoping, the cooperative's growth to this day, whether in leisure agriculture, cultivating excellent varieties, or developing agricultural e-commerce, "although all came about 'by accident,' if there had been no keen grasp of market demand and no strict control over product quality, success would have been utterly impossible."

A "Shangri-La" "planted" into being

This past spring, more than 400,000 visitors packed Jiufeng Town so tightly that not a drop could get through. "Though peaches and plums do not speak, people speak for them." Pan Guoping said that in the past two years, the reason the Jiufeng Mountain tourism route has become so sought after is inseparable from the vigorous promotion of the Lufeng Cooperative's official WeChat account "Jiufeng Mountain Fruits and Vegetables," and its killer move for attracting "fans" is a "Jiufeng Mountain Peach and Plum Blooming Period Detailed List" produced by the cooperative. "The highest click rate for related articles reached 300,000." Pan Guoping said that as a farmers' cooperative mainly featuring nectarines and Nai plums, members had not planned anything when they first planted fruit trees, but it was precisely this planting map of "plums among peaches" and "peaches among plums" that made the interwoven red and white blossoms the unique charm of the Jiufeng Mountain peach and plum sightseeing belt.

Although it was established only two years ago, Jiufeng Mountain Agricultural Tourism Company has already become an important piece in the Lufeng Cooperative's strategic development layout. "We still need to further enrich the fruit tree varieties so that it becomes a four-season orchard with flowers to see and fruit to pick all year round." In Pan Guoping's words, since leisure tourism is so favored, how could one let these fine mountains and waters, fine flowers and fine fruits remain hidden away?

A flagship product "bagged" into being

In 2007, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the official promulgation of the Law on Farmers' Professional Cooperatives, the Lufeng Cooperative upgraded from an agricultural product circulation cooperative to a farmers' professional cooperative. Not only did management become more scientific and standardized and the linking of members' interests closer, but the cooperative's functions also expanded from simply opening up sales channels to a composite structure including improved variety introduction, technical guidance, diversified marketing, and industrial extension. A chance opportunity allowed Pan Guoping and his partners to pick up a "golden idea."

Jiufeng Town's climate is suitable for the production of deciduous fruits such as peaches and plums, and its location adjacent to the Pearl River Delta brings a huge and powerful market right to the cooperative's doorstep. "On the one hand, we play the 'time difference'; our fruit reaches market at least 1 month earlier than the main northern production areas. On the other hand, we play the 'distance difference'; because we are very close to the main consumer market, the fruit can be picked only after it is fully ripe, so the quality is much better." In Pan Guoping's view, this dual advantage is the Lufeng Cooperative's core competitiveness. However, when the cooperative was first established, how to improve plum quality cost Pan Guoping a great deal of thought. He told reporters that at that time most members grew green plums, "but in terms of appearance, red and purple plums are more sought after in the market."

During an inspection trip in Hunan, Pan Guoping discovered that local plum growers used bagging methods to increase the sweetness of the fruit. After returning, he began trying to bag green plums in experimental fields. Through repeated exploration, the "clothing" therapy not only made the plums sweeter and reduced disease, but also changed the fruit skin color from green to yellow, transforming "green plums" into "golden plums." "Now, Jiufeng Mountain Golden Nai Plum has become the cooperative's flagship product." Pan Guoping said the plum's "status" has already risen from 1 or 2 yuan per jin to 12 yuan. "Many people not only crave its taste but also want to seek the good omen of 'ten thousand taels of gold.'"

Fresh e-commerce "pulled" into being

Now, although it is still more than 1 month before the Lufeng Cooperative's Golden Nai Plums hit the market, orders from fruit wholesalers have already come pouring in. At the Jiufeng Mountain Fruits and Vegetables O2O experience store, workers are packing boxes of nectarines for shipment. The next day, these "sunshine nectarines" will appear on the dining tables of many families in the Pearl River Delta. "E-commerce channels now account for nearly 20% of the company's sales." Pan Guoping said.

"Previously we left phone numbers on all our fruit boxes, and many out-of-town consumers called to ask whether we could send them some." Pan Guoping said the cooperative's fresh e-commerce business was precisely "pulled" into being by this telephone line. "At first we were just trying to sell online, but unexpectedly now we cannot do without it." Many cooperative members already "approaching fifty" or "approaching sixty" have made refreshing WeChat and promoting products a daily task. Today, the Lufeng Cooperative has formed an e-commerce development pattern with a Taobao store as the flagship and two official accounts, "Jiufeng Mountain Fruits and Vegetables" and "Local Life," as its two wings.

In order to keep the fruit always standing firmly on the word "fresh," the Lufeng Cooperative has not only raised funds on its own to build a large cold storage facility to extend the sales period, but the total volume demand and speed requirements for express transport have also risen accordingly. Two years ago, there were only 5 or 6 express delivery outlets in Jiufeng Town, but now more than 10 express delivery companies are clustered there. However, in Pan Guoping's view, although the "bandwidth" of fresh transport has expanded, the "network speed" is still not adequate. "Now, only one company can meet our requirement of 'next-day delivery to the Pearl River Delta.'" Pan Guoping said, "This shortcoming must be made up for as soon as possible."