Zhaotong city has a population of 6 million. Over 20% of the people live in poverty. The government has an aggressive program to provide improved seed potatoes to all farmers free of charge. This has created a huge demand for seed potatoes which government agencies purchase and distribute. In 2018, all his seed is spoken for before he planted except for Qingshu 9 seed that he will plan to sell locally. Diversification of clients for selling seed as well as table potatoes is being pursued by Tan Wei. He now sells seed to other provinces as well as to winter crop farmers in DeHong, Western Yunna.
Creating added value (branding, packaging, excellent appropriate storage, transportation)
Branding the potatoes that he produces and sells is his short-term priority. He will add value by doing so. In the long run, he visualizes that his branding this will assist many more farmers besides himself. He plans to make that his main business in the future. Buying other farmers potatoes and branding them as well through his handling / grading/ packaging system will be a benefit to all.
Quotes by TanWei:
- “My partnership with TuMaMa is a win-win as both parties’ benefit from the close working relationship.”
- “TuMaMa is like a super charger that drives my business”
- “TuMaMa has many contacts and acts as a bridge to the nearby and far away entrepreneurs who can support our potato business technically”
- “The seed potato forum that TuMaMa cosponsored and organized in 2016 opened the eyes of many local potato farmers as to the great opportunities there are for those who wish to take the potato business to the next level”
“We see this type of linkage and support as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, it gives us great pleasure to see entrepreneurs like Tan Wei succeed in the commercialization of the potato.” TuMaMa CEO, Elven Huang
