Across China: Diversifying Tibetan farmers digging for success

A campaign to diversify the crops grown in Tibet is blossoming after early struggles as the autonomous region prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding on Tuesday.

Three years ago, Tibetan farmer Cering Puncog's trial of growing vegetables in greenhouses turned out to be a total failure.

He had been making a living growing highland barley, but had no knowledge about vegetable planting. "With barley, I just leave it alone after throwing seeds and fertilizer in the soil, and it grows on its own," he said. "So I tried to grow tomatoes and lettuce the same way, but there was nothing to harvest."

The 49-year-old lives in Yangda Township under Doilungdeqen County. With regional soil famously infertile, hardy highland barley has long been the major crop and staple food for the township.

Its Communist Party committee built a modern agricultural demonstration area with 200 greenhouses, answering calls from the central government at the 2010 National Conference on Work in Tibet for the region to identify other more profitable, specialty crops that could be grown there.

However, just like Cering Puncog, many local farmers who applied for the greenhouses failed with their new ventures.

Realizing this, the local government organized them to watch films introducing greenhouse principles, and it also hired agricultural technicians to help the farmers.

Mastering the techniques such as soil turning, applying fertilizer and picking vegetables, the farmers are tasting the sweetness of success, as government initiatives to modernize agriculture and improve local livelihoods really start to take root.

"I planted lettuce, chili, cabbage and cucumber. They all grew well and the township government helps us sell them in the city market," said Cering Puncog, referring to arrangements under which farmers' produce is taken for sale in regional capital Lhasa.

"I can make more than 30,000 yuan (4,710 U.S. dollars) per year now, while in the past my yearly income was only about 2,500 yuan," he added.

Currently, the Yangda demonstration area has 360 greenhouses, benefitting some 180 farming households.

In Caina Township under Qushui County, over 20 kinds of plants including tulips, maca, roses and saffron are growing in a similar 33-hectare zone.

Nyima Cering, with the zone's management department, said it has been cultivating more profitable crops than highland barley, introducing more farming technology and developing larger-scale production.

Farmers are invited to let their individual plots to the scheme and accept salaries for working the land.

In peak season, 200 to 300 farmers work in the zone every day. "In the past, the farmers could make, at most, 2,000 yuan annually for every mu of land (one hectare equals 15 mu) by growing barley," he said. "Now, they not only get 1,400 yuan annually for every mu of land they have transferred to the demonstration zone, but also make about 100 yuan daily by working here."

Tibet recorded a total investment of 3.26 billion yuan in specialty agricultural and husbandry industries from 2004 to 2014. Despite rapid development, the sector still requires much more development.

For example, Soinam Ngoizhub runs a walnut oil factory in Gyaca County of Shannan Prefecture. "The products are all sold within Tibet. We need to start promoting them in the wider market in the rest of the country," he said. "However, since we are located far from the inland areas, high transportation costs will push up the retail price, reducing the products' competitive edge."

Soinam Ngoizhub said the company will hire more marketing staff and explore online sales. Endi