For 16 years, Luo Genshan has been raising chickens, and only now does he feel a sense of security. In the past, managing a flock alone, his greatest fears were poor health in the birds and failing to secure a good price.

At 53, Luo Genshan, originally from Qinzhou, Guangxi, followed fellow villagers to the mountains of Qingyuan, Guangdong, to start chicken farming in 2011. Over the years, he has endured difficult times, suffering significant losses during bird flu outbreaks and the pandemic.

Similarly, Huang Weiqiang, in his forties, is also a chicken farmer. In 2021, after leaving his job at an air conditioning factory in Foshan, he returned to his hometown in Qingyuan, took out a 200,000 yuan loan, leased a mountain plot, and began raising chickens. In his first year going solo, chicken dealers were picky, haggled over prices, and used unfair scales. After a year of hard work, he barely earned enough to cover his labor.

Unstable sales channels, unpredictable market conditions, and reliance on luck are the harsh realities faced by farmers. It was only in recent years, after partnering with the local leading enterprise, Tiannong Company, that Luo Genshan's anxiety began to ease.

As a contracted farmer, Tiannong provides chicks, feed, and professional breeding guidance. Once the chickens mature, the company buys them back uniformly, freeing Luo from sales worries. As long as he raises the chickens well, he earns a stable income.

Behind this security and stability is the purchase guarantee and safety net provided by JD Fresh and Tiannong. This year, JD Fresh collaborated with the Qingyuan municipal government in Guangdong, contracting over a dozen local mountain plots for the designated breeding of Qingyuan "Running Chickens." For every chicken purchased by consumers, JD provides an additional 3 to 5 yuan rebate to the farmers, further securing their income.

In fact, JD has been exploring chicken farming for a decade. It started in 2016 when JD established its first "Running Chicken" park in Wuyi County, Hebei. Over three years, it helped 453 farming households lift themselves out of poverty, a case later selected by the State Council's Poverty Alleviation Office.

From Wuyi to Qingyuan, from a single chicken to a nationwide map of agricultural support, JD has spent ten years persistently setting standards at the source, implementing traceability, and genuinely purchasing entire outputs. This approach ensures stable earnings for farmers and provides consumers with safe, reliable meat.

However, achieving this has not been easy. In China, white-feathered broilers, which reach market weight in just over 40 days, account for about 60% of the chicken market. Meanwhile, the more flavorful native yellow-feathered chickens have long been trapped in a cycle where "good chickens don't fetch good prices."

Raising a chicken fully, slowly, and still selling it at a premium challenges industry norms and entails higher costs and greater loss risks. This isn't the most profitable venture, so why has JD insisted on doing it for ten years? And why is JD particularly suited for this task?

Sixteen Years in Poultry: From Uncertainty to Assurance

Rewind a few years, and Luo Genshan was alone on the mountain, tending to his flock, with one worry after another, the biggest being sales. When the market was good, a batch of chickens could sell out in five days. When it was bad, they might not sell for ten days or half a month. Every extra day meant more feed consumption and rising costs.

Even more disempowering was pricing. When the market price was 9 yuan per jin, dealers might only offer 7 yuan. Selling meant a loss; not selling meant an even bigger loss. Even familiar dealers would drive a hard bargain.

A price fluctuation of 2.5 to 3.5 yuan per jin could swing profits by 30% to 60%. In terms of breeding methods, farmers mostly relied on themselves. The most demanding task was feed formulation. To ensure good meat quality, Luo Genshan bought corn and soybean meal to mix himself, experimenting batch by batch. An unsuccessful formula one year would be adjusted the next, relying entirely on accumulated experience and luck.

Luo Genshan's difficulties are a common story among Qingyuan chicken farmers. In recent years, his approach has changed. In 2021, seeing the stable incomes of fellow farmers cooperating with Tiannong, Luo Genshan also joined the partnership.

The company provides chicks, feed, technical guidance, and vaccines, and handles unified repurchase. Farmers only need to pay a 3-yuan deposit per chick, with all other inputs recorded by the company for later deduction.

Cooperating with an enterprise means strictly adhering to breeding standards. Initially, Luo Genshan found it challenging. One water dispenser for every 200 chickens, one feed bucket for every 250. "This prevents trampling and ensures quality." The exercise area must be at least 2.5 times, ideally 3 times, the size of the coop. "Too large, and the chickens get lost and grow slowly; too small, and they lack activity, affecting meat quality."

Each week, Tiannong sends technicians for inspections, checking growth, feed, and disease prevention, offering guidance. Gradually, Luo Genshan learned the ropes. Raising two batches a year requires bringing in and sending out all chickens in a batch simultaneously to ensure consistent quality.

Before, when issues arose, he would ask around, unsure whose advice to follow. Now, with technicians' professional guidance, disease prevention, feed, and scheduling follow clear protocols. Even though he now cares for over 20,000 chickens alone daily, Luo Genshan feels much more at ease than before.

This year, with JD Fresh's partnership and purchase guarantee, farmers receive stable income regardless of market fluctuations. "The days of prices plummeting unpredictably and living in constant worry are finally over," he said.

The income increase is tangible. Through source-level purchasing, for every Qingyuan Running Chicken sold, JD provides an extra 3 to 5 yuan rebate to the farmer. Luo Genshan calculated that he now earns 4 to 6 yuan more per chicken than before. After expenses, he makes over 100,000 yuan a year.

In recent years, with income from chicken farming, Luo Genshan put two children through university. Huang Weiqiang bought a car and recently took out a 200,000 yuan bank loan to expand his coops. "Now with a safety net, we can farm with confidence. Life has more hope," Huang said, noting many villagers have joined JD Fresh's purchase cooperation. "You don't have to overthink it; just follow along."

Raising Chickens in Qingyuan: A Quality Experiment in Designated Breeding

Why did JD go to Qingyuan to "raise chickens"? This stems from the Qingyuan chicken industry. Qingyuan chicken is the foremost among Guangdong's "Four Famous Chickens," having been served at state banquets. By 2025, the target is 160 million birds slaughtered annually, with a full industry chain value of 13.7 billion yuan.

But a famous brand attracts imitators. One type is the "bath chicken," where birds from elsewhere are brought to Qingyuan, "raised for eight to ten days," and then sold under the local name. Another involves using hybrid chicks (No. 2 or 1.5)冒充原种, compressing the standard 130-plus day breeding cycle to around 65 days, resulting in coarse texture and lost flavor.

According to Qingyuan market regulatory authorities, online platforms have seen suspected counterfeit "Qingyuan chicken"线索 involving 12 provinces and 45 prefecture-level cities. The result? Consumers pay high prices but end up with bland soup. Authentic Qingyuan chicken gets trapped in a "high quality, low price" dilemma, penalizing diligent farmers.

The root of the problem lies not just with the chickens but within the supply chain. A Qingyuan chicken passes through产地批发,销地批发,二级批发,加价 at each step, obscuring its origin. Farmers like Luo Genshan and Huang Weiqiang, who raise chickens diligently, ironically have the least bargaining power in this chain.

JD's solution is to bypass all intermediaries and go straight to the source—the breeding端. In April this year, JD Fresh partnered with the Qingyuan government to establish the JD Running Chicken认证基地 and jointly released the "JD Qingyuan Chicken Enterprise Standard" with Tiannong.

Recently, it directly contracted over a dozen local mountain plots for designated breeding of Qingyuan Running Chickens, establishing a five-party联动模式: "Government + JD + Enterprise + Cooperative + Farmer." The government provides overall guidance; JD Fresh sets standards and handles guaranteed purchases; Qingyuan Agricultural Investment Group coordinates with breeding cooperatives, providing chicks, feed, and technology; cooperatives manage uniformly; farmers focus solely on raising the chickens well.

So, what defines a high-quality Qingyuan Running Chicken? JD Fresh breaks down the hard-to-prove "free-range" concept into verifiable consumer metrics. First is "pedigree"—using only No. 1原种 chicks.原种 chickens reach only about 2 jin, while No. 2 hybrids can grow to 2.5 jin at the same price, seemingly less profitable on paper. But only原种 delivers the authentic flavor.

With the right pedigree, they must be raised fully. Chickens are free-ranged in山林, with only about 50 per亩 for ample space. Daily effective运动不低于10,000 steps, totaling 1 million steps before slaughter. They are raised for at least 140 days, up to 198 days. What does 198 days mean? Ordinary white-feathered broilers are ready in 45 days—this is over four times longer.

JD's poultry procurement explains that the接近200-day cycle addresses taste differences between north and south. Northerners prefer a "tougher" texture, while southerners find 160-day chickens最嫩. 198 days strikes a balance—"not tough, not old, just right."

After sufficient rearing, they must pass food safety checks. Antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals,违禁药残, and Salmonella—all five must be "zero." Each batch undergoes residue and microbial testing before slaughter. Every step, from breeding and slaughter to冷链运输 and final product, is clearly traceable.

Only chickens passing all tests receive the "dual certification" of JD Running Chicken and Qingyuan Chicken地理标志产品. This deep-source purchasing and designated breeding model creates a multi-win scenario for the Qingyuan chicken industry chain.

For farmers, the most direct change is no longer having to摸索 alone. What to raise and how are now guided, with technicians available for issues. For the production region, where good chickens once struggled to command good prices, established standards and traceability now allow genuine Qingyuan Running Chickens to be recognized, enhancing the brand's reputation and fostering healthy industry development.

For consumers, purchasing high-quality fresh produce no longer relies on "luck." For JD Fresh, eliminating intermediary markups reduces procurement costs by 5% to 10% compared to traditional models. The savings partly go back to farmers and partly benefit consumers through better prices.

A Decade of "Chicken Farming": JD's Agricultural Support Vision

The endeavor of chicken farming is something JD has quietly pursued for ten years. It began in 2016 in Wuyi County, Hebei, starting from scratch. The area lacked a proper breeding industry. The government allocated 400亩, JD provided interest-free loans and chicks, and impoverished households each raised 100 birds free-range for about 160 days before JD repurchased them at 100 yuan each. Farmers didn't need to find buyers or fear unsold stock.

From the first Running Chicken, JD focused on two goals: ensuring stable income for farmers and providing safe meat for consumers. This connects to founder Liu Qiangdong's background. Hailing from rural northern Jiangsu, he has always been concerned about fellow villagers, hoping their hard work yields stable returns.

Over this decade, how Chinese people "eat chicken" has quietly changed. Firstly, diets have become more balanced and healthier. In ten years, per capita meat consumption in China grew about 40%-50%. The long-standing dominance of pork has continued to ease, dropping to around 57% in 2024, while poultry, beef, and mutton shares have risen, diversifying meat consumption.

Secondly, how people buy chicken has changed. From H7N9 in 2013 to later pandemic measures, more cities banned live poultry sales. Buying chicken shifted from picking a live bird at the wet market to choosing chilled or frozen products online or offline. Once the breeding process became "invisible," the trust issue magnified.

Consequently, people increasingly pay for quality and certainty. Labels like "ecological, natural, traceable" gained importance. More standardized, traceable e-commerce and supermarkets gradually replaced traditional农贸市场.

Yet, while demand shifts upward, supply lags. In China, the chicken market exceeds 850 billion yuan, with about 60% being white-feathered broilers ready in around 45 days. JD's poultry procurement notes that white-feathered chickens are industrialized, standardized imports with low breeding costs, but their种源 has long been controlled by foreign companies. Fast-food chains like KFC and McDonald's primarily use them.

The more flavorful yellow-feathered chickens, or native Chinese breeds, account for only about 30%. Being free-range, fed杂粮, and often raised for 140 days or more, they have higher costs and are trapped in the cycle of "good chickens not fetching good prices, leading to fewer breeders." This is precisely what JD has aimed to change over ten years—not competing in the price war of 45-day white-feathered chickens but using standards, traceability, and certification to make "eating with peace of mind" a reality.

Starting with poverty alleviation through Wuyi Running Chickens to rectifying the Qingyuan chicken industry, what changed are the categories and scale. What remains constant is ensuring farmers don't worry about sales and consumers buy with greater confidence.

So, why is JD particularly able to achieve this? The Running Chicken project's difficulty lies in its high barriers. It requires several capabilities simultaneously, which most platforms lack.

JD operates a self-run model, with procurement and buyers deeply embedded in industries for years. They understand consumption trends and can guide source production on how to grow and raise, controlling the entire chain from breeding and quality control to traceability. This is something pure "transaction-matching" platforms are unwilling or unable to do.

More importantly, JD's platform has 740 million active users, a demographic that values quality most and is most willing to pay for a high-standard chicken. Having the capability to control source quality on one end and consumers willing to pay for quality on the other allows this mechanism to function.

What truly underpins JD's commitment, beyond capability, is an unchanging初心. As JD procurement staff say, this project internally isn't treated purely as a business "because the ultimate beneficiaries are ordinary people."

Beyond Chickens: Building Together with Production Regions

Perfecting chicken raising is just one piece of JD's larger strategy. Over the years, JD Fresh has consistently used "source purchasing,包销" methods to help local specialties reach wider markets.

This provides farmers with stable收益, offers商家 steady growth, and helps various specialty agricultural industries establish norms and scale up. Maoming lychees in Guangdong are a典型 case. JD procurement personnel enter orchards a month before flowering, urging farmers not to harvest prematurely or use pesticides, then purchasing the ripe fruit at standards above market prices.

This year, JD Fresh's包圆 quantity for Maoming lychees increased fivefold, with delivery times as fast as 24 hours to Tibet and Xinjiang, and 36 hours to European tables. The same包圆 logic applies to特色农产品 like Yangxin yellow cattle in Shandong, Sichuan Spring Citrus, and Chagan Lake fish in Jilin. JD Fresh's "包圆助农" footprint continues to expand.

These efforts point in the same direction. At the 2026 JD Fresh 618 Partners Conference on May 25, JD Fresh positioned itself as "a long-term co-builder of China's fresh produce industry." At the conference, JD Fresh signed over 2 billion yuan in purchase agreements with governments in Guangdong, Hunan, Yunnan, etc., covering地理标志 products like Qingyuan chicken, Maoming lychees, Jiangyong taro, and Yongzhou vegetables.

Beyond包销, JD Fresh tackles another challenging task: setting standards. In March, JD Fresh industry-first released the "真原切" standard for beef and mutton, addressing issues of minced meat拼接冒充整切. It later collaborated with the Dalian Ocean and Fisheries Association to release the first e-commerce-specific group standard for sea cucumbers, tackling the difficulty of identifying high-quality products.

To date, JD Fresh plans to co-establish industry standards with 120 cities nationwide. In a mixed-quality market, establishing standards one by one is precisely what JD Fresh persists in doing.

Looking back, in an era where chickens can be ready in just over 40 days, JD Fresh insists on raising them for 158, even 198 days. This venture isn't the most profitable: large purchase volumes mean high inventory costs and require subsidy investments.

But JD is willing to take this slow approach because it serves two greater purposes. One end connects farmers and industries. Through source包圆 and designated breeding, it provides farmers with确定性 income and businesses with确定性 growth. Together with local governments, it turns regional specialties into standards and brands.

From Qingyuan chicken to Yangxin yellow cattle and Maoming lychees, moving from "one standard, one product" to "one standard, one category," JD Fresh engages in tangible co-building with production regions. The other end connects with millions of consumers. Extending the supply chain to the very source aims to let consumers buy a chicken without worrying about authenticity or buy lychees without worrying about freshness—transforming past "blind box" purchases into "buy with eyes closed, eat with confidence."

As Huang Weiqiang said, what he needs most is "someone to lead the way, moving forward together." In its decade of chicken farming, JD is precisely that guide.