Sellers in Shanxi are ready to deliver parcels to buyers throughout the country after reaching deals online. [Photo by Liu Tong for China Daily]

Livestreaming has proved an effective channel for selling produce, particularly in rural areas. That's what Li Yuling, a farmer in the village of Mijiawan in the Shanxi city of Hejin, has realized in recent years.

The farmer said she began to sell apples by posting on her WeChat Moments three years ago. "The sales have grown steadily and I've been satisfied over the years."

But Li said it was because of a livestream show in October last year that she realized online sales can really help farmers make a big fortune rapidly.

Li's brother, Gao Feng, also a farmer, had just harvested 50 metric tons of sweet potatoes.

Gao was worried about the storage and sales of the produce after learning from the weather forecast that a severe flood was on its way to Hejin. So he asked Li for help.

Li broadcast a livestream on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok While displaying piles of sweet potatoes in the field, Li also described the weather conditions in her village, telling people the produce might be destroyed by the coming flood.

Deals for 20 tons of sweet potatoes were made on the first day and the produce was sold out in the following several days before the flood came.

Li said she was not content with the initial success in livestreaming and she knew that she had a lot to learn to master the skills.

So she attended a local training class on e-commerce in the early winter.

"Thanks to the teachers from various universities, colleges and institutions in Shanxi, I have mastered a lot of skills in expression, display, interaction and making short videos," Li said. "This allows me to better showcase the products and my home village."

In the city of Yuncheng, which is known for its fruit production, farmers are also using e-commerce platforms to sell produce and increase revenues.

In Linyi, a county in Yuncheng, for instance, farmers have opened more than 1,000 online stores to sell fruits.

Governments at various levels in Shanxi also see e-commerce as an important means for rural revitalization and development.

According to the Shanxi Department of Commerce, there are 59 counties in the province listed as pilot counties for rural e-commerce business.

Statistics show that online sales in these counties amounted to 11.7 billion yuan ($1.84 billion) by the end of August 2021, including sales of more than 8 billion yuan worth of farm produce.

According to Zhao Guiquan, an official at the department, the government will continue its support for rural e-commerce by helping to establish more e-commerce public service centers and logistics outlets and opening training programs in the countryside.

Wang Pei contributed to this story.