Zhejiang Kecheng: Innovative Rural Livestreamer Talent Training and Entrepreneurship Support System

I. Brief Introduction

Kecheng District, Quzhou City of Zhejiang Province has encouraged rural residents to participate in livestreaming sales since 2019. To fill the talent gap in livestreaming, Kecheng has constructed a "Village Broadcast Academy" and a "Village Broadcast Base." After several years of development, the local system for cultivating livestreaming talents has gradually matured, the e-commerce industrial chain has further extended, and seen significantly increase in farmers' income.

II. Approaches

1) Policy and Subsidy Guidance Support

The government's multiple departments collaboratively build a Village Broadcast service alliance. They introduce third-party operators to establish an integrated service chain that includes training, planting, product selection, packaging, and sales, providing comprehensive services for anchors, enterprises, and villagers.

Kecheng District has issued policies to give tilted support in talent introduction, anchor cultivation, and financial subsidies. They provide entrepreneurs with a discounted loan of 500,000 yuan (US$77,370) and rent reduction policies, and they have set up anchor talent apartments to solve worries about living conditions.

2) Constructing a Stepped Anchor Training System

They have constructed a stepped education system from inclusive training to professional training. Firstly, they carry out "Farmers as Anchors" series training, which is for beginners, barrier-free, and free of charge. Secondly, they invite experts and local anchor masters to conduct advanced, upgrade training. Thirdly, through content training and live broadcasting practice, they select 20 excellent rural broadcasting talents. Finally, they encourage excellent anchors to set up their own studios and guide newcomers to grow quickly.

3) Building a Smooth Mechanism from Training to Employment and Entrepreneurship

Kecheng's rural anchor training institutions guide students to deeply participate in the supply chain, brand marketing, after-sales service, etc., providing students with more possibilities for career development.

The local live broadcast industry entrepreneurship street provides newcomers with integrated one-stop services, including merchant recruitment operation, enterprise entry, entrepreneurship guidance, and supply chain.

4) Importing Land, Capital, and Talent into the Rural Livestreaming Sales

Kecheng transforms idle agricultural markets into "Village Broadcast Base", "Village Broadcast Academy", and "Village Broadcast Lecture Hall"; transforms idle cultural and sports buildings into live broadcast entrepreneurship streets, setting up operation incubation service centers, shared live broadcast rooms, etc.; transforms local small and micro farmer entrepreneurship parks into factory broadcasting comprehensive bases.

Village Broadcast Academy

Factory Broadcasting Supply Chain Base

Solving soft bases like faculty, finance, brand, and supply chain. Organize a group of e-commerce experts, local famous anchors, and e-commerce entrepreneurs to give regular lectures; cooperate with banks to introduce 20 million yuan (US$3,094,820) of entrepreneurship loan government discount funds, providing financial support for farmer anchors' entrepreneurship and employment; formulate standardized product selection system, and lead the establishment of geographical indication products product supply alliance.

III. Results

The local live broadcast talent team has grown. Since the establishment of the Village Broadcast Academy, they have trained 7,245 new farmers, and 12 village broadcasters have an annual income exceeding 1 million yuan (US$154,741). Up to now, the village broadcast-related value chain has driven over 5,000 people such as fresh graduates and surrounding villagers to achieve employment, realizing an annual per capita income increase of over 50,000 yuan (US$7,737).

Driving the agricultural value chain to promote rural prosperity. The Village Broadcast Academy helps to sell over 100 million yuan (US$15.47 million) of agricultural products each year, drives over 1,000 new farmers to employment, and assists over 60 farm owners (enterprises) to go online.

The live broadcast drives the development of cultural tourism and pet economy. Relying on the development of industrial agglomeration, the catering, accommodation, and tourism industries around the Village Broadcast Base are booming. The pet economy, linked with online live broadcasts, is booming in Kecheng, and in the first half of 2022, the online sales of pet-related goods exceeded 100 million yuan (US$15.47 million).

Village broadcast drives employment and rural prosperity

IV. Lessons Learned

In areas where hardware infrastructure (such as roads, network communication, etc.) is relatively well-developed, the government needs to pay attention to the cultivation of rural e-commerce human capital. A benign e-commerce ecosystem has a strong capacity to absorb employment. The improved e-commerce live broadcast in Kecheng District has not only get through the "last mile" for the sale of agricultural products but also stimulated the surrounding modern service industry and created conditions for the pet economy. As the e-commerce live broadcast and derivative industry chain grows, more and more villagers and merchants can achieve employment and increase income.

For more information, please contact WFP China COE (wfpcn.coe@wfp.org)