The first lesson of the "Online Free Training Project for Millions of Farmers in Guangdong Province" was carried out at the cherry tomato base in Jiepao town, Suixi county, Zhanjiang on Oct 11.

The "Online Free Training Project for Millions of Farmers in Guangdong Province" was launched by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Sept 22.

The project aims to enhance the quality and education level of farmers, promote the upgrading of the traditional agricultural industry, explore new forms of agricultural development, as well as inject vitality to the sustainable development of the agricultural industry, rural programs, and farmers' careers.

Workers pick cherry tomatoes at the cherry tomato base in Jiepao town, Suixi county, Zhanjiang. [Photo by Li Zhong/Zhanjiang Daily]

Experts gave on-site lectures about the cultivation, preservation, and marketing of tomatoes in the fields, as well as the refrigeration house of the cherry tomato base.

"Pest control is of great importance. You need to choose land that is free of disease, select disease-resistant varieties of tomatoes, as well as pay attention to the prevention and control of common diseases in cultivation," said Lin Lyu, head of the Guangdong Agricultural Technology Extension Station.

Lin also provided relevant technical guidance on the seedling management of cherry tomatoes, as well as planting and grafting techniques.

Zhang Han, a food preservation expert, taught farmers the preservation method of cherry tomatoes, while Wang Mohan, the purchasing manager of tech giant Alibaba's fresh food retailer Freshhema, detailed which kind of fruit and vegetables were best sold from the point of view of procurement selection.

The lectures were simultaneously broadcast live on the digital platform for the province's agricultural products and the mobile video streaming app WeSee, which was launched by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2013.

The cumulative number of views online for the first lesson exceeded one million.