KUNMING - Southwest China's Yunnan province has mobilized its major vegetable and fruit farms to aid the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic in Hubei, where the epicenter city of Wuhan is located.

"Everyone on the farm basically depends on the Wuhan market. Now it's going through difficulties, and we want to send our love," said Sheng Guilin, owner of an eggplant farm in the city of Mengzi.

Besides eggplants, the farm purchased seven other types of vegetables. With the help of volunteer farmers and local residents, over 40 tonnes of fresh vegetables have arrived in Wuhan so far.

In the meantime, 22 tonnes of bananas, donated by all the 93 households in a village under Hekou county, were collected and sent to Hubei. Among the donors, 47 are registered impoverished households.

The residents of Miandian township under Jianshui county also loaded trucks with over 100 tonnes of onions within just half a day, before transporting the crops to the city of Huangshi near Wuhan.

Coordinated by the Luliang county government, 15 tonnes of freshly picked Chinese cabbages, donated by Chen Fayou, a local grower, were transported to hospital canteens in Wuhan by the Yunnan branch of Suning's e-commerce company free of charge.

The provincial agricultural department said it has increased staff numbers to step up approval and inspection processes and enhance vegetable allocation and transportation to Hubei.