Several self-service stations for selling vegetables have recently been established in Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, in order to reduce the need for face-to-face contact.

The vegetables sold at the stations are all collected from local farmers. Due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, farmers are having difficulty transporting and selling their vegetables. The new stations are helping them solve this problem and also providing residents with a supply of fresh vegetables.

Collection, distribution, and transportation costs are being paid by the Qidong Xincheng Agriculture Development Co, and the vegetables are being sold at below market price.

According to Gu Haijian, a manager at Qidong Xincheng Agriculture Development Co, all vegetables must be scanned for pesticide residue before being sent to the stations.

Each bag includes five or six types of vegetable, including eggplants, potatoes, green peppers, cabbage, and more. Residents can scan a QR code to pay for the vegetables, eliminating the need for face-to-face contact.

"I used to buy vegetables at the supermarket, but now I don't dare go outside," said a resident surnamed Wang. "I heard other residents praising the stations, and after trying the vegetables myself, I also think they're pretty good."

The stations open at 9 am every day, and are expected to be established in more pilot communities in the future.

A resident pays for vegetables by scanning a QR code at a self-service station in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]