Harvest festival becomes a feast for farmers and consumers

On a Sunday morning in late September, at a sprawling farm in Zhuozhou in Hebei province, several children gathered around tables to solve the "egg shell puzzle" and take the "egg protection challenge" while their parents chatted with farmers and industry representatives. This was the 2025 Egg Promotion Fair, part of the nationwide Golden Autumn Consumption Season tied to the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. With 70 booths bringing together enterprises, farmers and consumers from across the country, the event turned a common staple — the humble egg — into a connection between rural and urban life.

Exhibitors at the fair ranged from major producers such as Beijing Deqingyuan to small cooperatives. They presented goods from fresh eggs and seasoned products, including marinated eggs and egg yolk pastries, to powdered egg protein and even delicate handicrafts made from egg shells.

"Eggs are more than just a daily food," said Yan Kuiyou, chief expert with the National Animal Husbandry Service. "They are vital to food security, a cost-effective source of protein, and a key to farmers' livelihoods."

Yan said consumer demand for eggs is moving beyond basic protein supplementation toward more precise nutritional goals. "With consumption trends shifting toward healthier, traceable and more diverse products, this sector has huge potential," he said. Shoppers are increasingly seeking eggs that target specific health concerns, such as eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids for improving brain health and low-cholesterol eggs for seniors.

With the advent of urban lifestyles, ready-to-eat egg products such as marinated eggs and liquid egg cartons are also gaining popularity, especially among younger consumers, Yan added.

Wu Shugeng, head of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' expert team on eggs and the event organizer, said the fair aimed to develop direct connections between suppliers and consumers. Visitors could tour the farm to see the full cycle of production, from feed processing to the making of organic fertilizer. "Eggs are a perfect entry point to promote agricultural consumption. They are found on every family's table," Wu said.

China is both the world's largest producer and consumer of eggs. But the industry faces challenges such as insufficient branding and not enough processing facilities. The fair highlighted the push toward standardized and technology-driven growth, Wu said.

Apart from videos about new farming technologies, experts answered questions face-to-face, addressing common misconceptions, including whether brown-shelled eggs were healthier than white ones, or if "native eggs" were more nutritious.

Lu Jianzhong, deputy head of the Institute of Feed Research at the academy, said consumers would get to see the transformation of modern agriculture. "We hope people not only eat better eggs but understand the science and culture behind them, while helping farmers earn more," he said.

The fair provided farmers and enterprises with win-win direct sales opportunities. Buyers from supermarkets, restaurants and e-commerce platforms signed deals on the spot, helping secure fairer prices. Platforms such as Pinduoduo and JD offered promotional support, boosting visibility for high-quality brands.

"Celebrating harvest is not only about abundance but about building bridges between science and tradition, the countryside and cities, farmers and consumers," Wu said.