Tibet's grain yields set new record

Southwest China's Tibet reaped a record grain harvest of 1.01 million tonnes in 2015, according to the regional Communist Party, which has been campaigning to guarantee food security.

Tibetan farmers harvested 700,000 tonnes of highland barley, a crucial staple for local residents, a regional Party meeting revealed on Sunday.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the region is well-known for its harsh climate. Agriculture here is extremely backward.

Tibetans used to rely on grains imported from inland areas. In recent years, Tibet has allocated more funds to support agriculture while breeding new varieties of grain. It has almost achieved self-sufficient food production.

In 2015, the area of crops in the region surpassed 2.55 million mu(about 170,000 hectares), said Du Jie, director of the regional farming and animal husbandry department. More than 1.87 million mu of the crops are highland barley.

Tibet plans to keep grain yields above 1 million tonnes and the output of highland barley above 700,000 tonnes in the next five years, according to officials at the meeting. Endi