BEIJING - Online retail volume of China's farm produce is expected to grow by about 50 percent in 2016 as more farmers use e-commerce platforms to sell their produce.

Online produce sales might reach 220 billion yuan ($32 billion) this year, up over 46 percent over the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Agricultural e-commerce has been developing fast in recent years, reaching 150 billion yuan in 2015, more than triple that of 2013.

The government started a pilot program in 2014 to digitalize agriculture and aims for internet cover in almost all villages by 2020.