The Digital Farmer: Livestreaming Daily, Selling Scenery Trees and Racing to Reap Rewards Each Month

The rise of social media has paved the way for a new and thriving profession: livestream selling. And one industry that has quickly embraced this trend is agriculture. Farmers are now utilizing livestreaming to showcase and sell their produce, and it’s proving to be a lucrative opportunity.

Take the example of Do Thi Trang from Nam Dinh and her team. They recently concluded a month-long livestream session selling ornamental plants, and their revenue for the month exceeded 600 million VND. After deducting costs and splitting the profits, each member of the four-person group earned a comfortable monthly income.

“Ornamental plants require a significant upfront investment,” explains Trang. “So, while our revenue reached hundreds of millions, two-thirds of that was capital used to purchase the plants. Each of us earns about 30 million VND per month, which is considered a stable income for farmers.”

Livestreaming has been a game-changer for Trang, allowing her to reach a nationwide audience instead of waiting for customers to visit her nursery. Her persistence in introducing her products has paid off, as she consistently finds buyers.

“Typically, we sell at better prices at the beginning of the livestream,” she shares. “Towards the end, we sometimes have to sell at a break-even price or even at a loss to clear inventory and make way for new stock the next day.”

For Trang, livestream selling is a demanding job that requires constant exploration, creativity, and experience. Rural entrepreneurs like her have to invest in livestream selling courses and equipment. It can be challenging at first, with days of talking to oneself and no viewers or interactions. Many give up due to the discouraging nature of the initial stages.

Nguyen Van Thach, a 1983 native of Hung Yen, is also embracing the daily routine of livestreaming to sell ornamental plants on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook. Initially, he worked for a local nursery, helping them with tree maintenance and learning the ropes of livestream selling.

Recognizing the potential of this sales method, Thach decided to strike out on his own. He now spends about five hours a day livestreaming, selling plants ranging from a few hundred thousand to several hundred million VND.

“In each livestream session, if I can sell one or two large trees, my revenue for that day could reach several hundred million VND. This could amount to half a billion VND per month,” Thach shares. “However, this doesn’t account for the capital used to purchase the trees and other expenses like labor and fertilizer. I constantly have to reinvest to bring in new stock, and consistent livestreaming is crucial to maintaining an engaged audience.”

Once a customer finalizes a purchase, the livestream sellers take responsibility for packaging and shipping the plants to the buyer’s address. Payment is only completed once the buyer has inspected the tree and confirmed it matches the livestreamed product.

“Occasionally, we encounter risks,” Thach admits. “For high-value trees, customers might only pay a deposit of 3-5 million VND. Shipping costs, especially for long-distance deliveries to the Central or Southern regions, can run into tens of millions of VND. If the customer refuses the delivery, we incur significant losses.”

Meanwhile, Do Dinh Nam, owner of Thanh Nam nursery, has built a long-standing reputation in the industry. With a substantial following on his social media accounts, he is often hired by other local nurseries to livestream and sell their ornamental plants, earning him a handsome commission-based income.

“Because my accounts have a large and loyal following, many long-time customers trust my recommendations,” Nam shares. “I typically earn a 5% commission on each order, which amounts to tens of millions of VND per month, all without having to invest any capital.”