Beijing residents benefit from Farmers-to-Consumers

"I've opened an account on WeChat, so people can place orders, and we can deliver those whenever they want, straight to their doors," he says.

"Our customer base is relatively stable so we can get to know people's favorite products, which helps with our planning of how much to buy. We have become friends with many of our customers."

The Farmers-to-Consumers scheme, says an official from Beijing Fengtai district government who declined to be named, has helped launch many small businesses across the city, creating both jobs and a valuable service for local residents.

Its purpose, he says, is simple: to provide cheap fresh vegetables direct to residential areas without the need for intermediate wholesalers.

The Agricultural Bank of China and other local community banks provide micro loans for rural migrant workers like Liu who apply to take part in the delivery program.

They can use the loans to buy delivery vans, for instance, and the government also offers business advice.

Last year consumer prices increased about 2 percent year-on-year, down from 2.6 percent in 2013, and also well below the government's annual target of 3.5 percent.

Officials say that with the help of the Beijing vegetable plan, and others like it being launched nationally, food prices can be maintained at affordable levels.