Although the coronavirus outbreak has prevented Wang Baiqing from going to the market, he has ordered 10 metric tons of fertilizer online, which will be delivered directly to his fields.

"I don't think the epidemic will affect my farming business a lot," he said.

Wang is a farmer in the city of Wuchang, famous for its fragrant rice, in Heilongjiang province, the country's largest grain producer, where there are 15.93 million hectares of arable land.

More vigorous development of an already thriving e-commerce sector is changing farmers' modes of production, and the advance has become more evident during the outbreak when farmers are preparing their spring plowing online as they know the season waits for no one.

"I thought this year's plowing would be delayed as we couldn't buy agricultural materials in the market like we used to," said Wu Jintang, a grain farmer in Heilongjiang, who aims to plant 400 hectares of corn and more than 266 hectares of soybeans this year.

"Online shopping has made everything easier. Through a few clicks, I've prepared enough chemical fertilizers and seeds," the 53-year-old added.

Qi Xieli, assistant to the general manager of Beifeng Agricultural Production Means Group, which accounts for more than half of chemical fertilizer sales in Heilongjiang, said the company has about 2 million tons of chemical fertilizers for the spring farming season.

"We also provide online services for agricultural materials," he added.

Launched on Jan 20, the company's online mall has registered more than 1,000 orders, with its online business volume totaling over 100 million yuan ($14 million).

Local authorities are urging farmers and all types of businesses to work in an orderly manner, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Feb 10.

The circular stressed support for manufacturers of agricultural materials to resume production as soon as possible, increase market supply and ensure demand will be met during the spring plowing season.

So far, 4,969 agricultural materials manufacturers and stores in Heilongjiang have launched online sales operations.

In response, farmers have ordered more than 50,000 tons of seeds, over 3,500 tons of pesticides and 269,000 tons of fertilizers online.

To avoid large gatherings, authorities in the city of Heihe have organized experts to conduct training for farmers via the internet, providing information and solving problems.

"We've introduced 16 industrial innovation systems in the province, with 497 experts, to provide remote agricultural training and guidance to farmers online," said Li Shirun, an official with the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Xinhua