Chinese Farmers' Festival launched in Shanghai

Tasked with boosting consumption, balancing supply and demand, and promoting urban-rural integration, the 2026 Chinese Farmers' Festival and its Golden Autumn Consumption Season were launched in Shanghai on Friday.

Focusing on quality-product display, technology empowerment and cultural preservation, the festival seeks to drive rural revitalization through boosting consumption.

"Since the Golden Autumn Consumption Season was first held in 2020, it has generated over 160 billion yuan ($23.84 billion) in consumption through the sale of agricultural products," said Lei Liugong, director of market and information technology department with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in a speech at Friday's launch.

"As an international metropolis and economic hub, Shanghai connects the Yangtze River Delta region with the rest of China and the world. The event will leverage this position to bring high-quality products to more markets, boost the harvest festival's profile and engage a wider audience," Lei added.

"We will take this event as an opportunity to fully capitalize on Shanghai's significant market advantages, consolidate consumption resources and unlock nationwide demand, while actively supporting farmers in raising their incomes," said Ma Xiaohong, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

"Through deep innovation in consumption content, formats and scenarios, AI-powered consumption models are expected to boost sales of quality products. With greater efforts in opening-up, Shanghai will strive to further optimize the business environment, unlock greater consumption potential and bring high-quality agricultural products from across the country to broader markets," Ma added.

According to Lei, one of this year's event's distinctive characteristics is its innovative approach to tapping into the latest trends. Through the integration of digital and intelligent technologies, people's needs and expectations for a better life can be better met.

Friday's launch offered a glimpse of how artificial intelligence is reshaping the digital supply chain, from placing an online order to delivering fresh products.

By accessing Alibaba's large language model Qwen and placing an order for agricultural products, consumers can receive recommendations for items including rice from Shanghai's Chongming district and sweet bamboo shoots from Yunnan province, available through Tmall Supermarket and Freshippo, Alibaba's grocery and fresh food retail chain. The products can be delivered as little as 30 minutes after the order is placed.

Initiated in 2018, the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival is held annually on the Autumn Equinox during the harvest season, and it is the first national-level holiday dedicated to farmers in China.

As the core brand activity of the harvest festival, the Golden Autumn Consumption Season focuses on building channels for agricultural products to move from villages to cities, promoting a precise match between urban consumer demand and rural production, and forging a new pattern of urban-rural agricultural development.

On Friday, six major internet platforms — Alibaba, JD, Pinduoduo, Meituan, Douyin and Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) — announced their special initiatives to support agriculture during the 2026 Golden Autumn Consumption Season. The measures, including subsidies and business cultivation, are expected to help promote high-quality agricultural products and drive digital transformation in rural industries.