Your current location:HOME >sport >Sheep Breeding Cooperatives Boost Incomes of Xizang Herders 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 16:46:19 Source: Internet compilationEdit:sport
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom
A herder takes care of a herd of sheep in Kamba County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Dec. 20, 2023. [Xinhua/Lodro Gyatso] |
LHASA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) — As sunshine graces the foot of the snow-covered mountains surrounding Kamba County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, villagers from a local sheep breeding cooperative crack their herding whips to guide thousands of sheep out of their pen.
The county, sitting at an average altitude of more than 4,300 meters, registers an annual average temperature of only 1.5 degrees Celsius. Boasting a unique geographical environment, the county is well-known for its Kamba sheep in Xizang and the villagers here mainly rely on herding for a living.
In an effort to establish standardized herding practices, sci-tech commissioners have been dispatched to this county. Today, all sheep in Kamba have ear tags that allow for the tracing of their growth, contributing to a continuous increase in their numbers.
Lhapa Tsering, a member of the sheep breeding cooperative, was once a successful herder but now runs a restaurant here.
"I was finding it difficult to balance family life and herding before the cooperative was established in March 2019," he said. The increasing number of sheep in his family demanded more time, while his aging parents needed more care.
A staff member of a sheep breeding cooperative holds a newborn Kamba lamb in Kamba County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Dec. 20, 2023. [Xinhua/Lodro Gyatso] |
In the past, when confronted with such a dilemma, villagers like Lhapa Tsering had no choice but to sell some sheep or ask their school-aged children to give up their studies and return home to herd the sheep.
However, villagers today have gained a new option, thanks to the sheep breeding cooperative. Lhapa Tsering was among the first to join the cooperative, though many villagers were initially skeptical of it.
They doubted if others could care for their family sheep as well as they could, recalled Phurbu Tsering, head of the cooperative. "After over 30 meetings, we finally managed to convince most of them to join the cooperative."
The cooperative only requires over 20 herders to take care of all the sheep, with the count reaching thousands.
"I had to herd sheep for my family and did not have the opportunity to attend school properly when I was a child," said Phurbu Tsering. Children in the county can now fully focus on their studies, and villagers with spare time have started exploring other income opportunities.
A sheep breeding cooperative is pictured in Kamba County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Dec. 20, 2023. [Xinhua/Lodro Gyatso] |
Before 2019, only three villagers had driver's licenses, whereas today almost every household has at least one driver now. More than 70 villagers now work in other places, bringing an increase in per capita annual income of nearly 20,000 yuan (about 2,813 U.S. dollars).
The modern production and management of the cooperative has also helped to expand sales channels. Through online channels and contracts for bulk orders, the cooperative sold over 10,000 Kamba sheep in 2023, generating a total income of over 5 million yuan. Over 2 million yuan and 1,000 sheep were distributed to members as dividends the same year.
By the end of 2023, Kamba County had become home to 27 sheep breeding cooperatives. The per capita disposable income of rural residents in the county was expected to exceed 19,000 yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 10 percent.
All the 146 households in Lhapa Tsering's village have joined the cooperative. He runs a restaurant near his home and continues to enjoy dividends from the cooperative. Today, his family's annual income is about 200,000 yuan.
"My father also works for the cooperative, and my son as well as other children in the county can enjoy their happy winter holidays," Lhapa Tsering said.
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at2024-05-21 16:27
8 watches owned by Formula One great Michael Schumacher are going up for auction2024-05-21 15:55
Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul is forced to make emergency landing at Manchester Airport2024-05-21 15:54
I'm a forensic researcher who studies rapists2024-05-21 15:32
Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America2024-05-21 14:56
South Carolina governor happy with tax cuts, teacher raises but wants health and energy bills done2024-05-21 14:54
Dr. Cyril Wecht, famed forensic pathologist who argued more than 1 shooter killed JFK, dies at 932024-05-21 14:53
Catalan separatists lose majority as Spain's Socialists win regional elections2024-05-21 14:36
Here comes the char2024-05-21 14:36
Collapsing billboard kills 3 and hurts 59 in heavy rains in Mumbai. Scores might be trapped2024-05-21 14:33
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation2024-05-21 16:44
Billionaire Arthur Irving, one of Canada's richest men, dies at age 932024-05-21 16:39
Charter flights for WNBA road games was an early Mother's Day gift for players with children2024-05-21 16:36
Never mind faux2024-05-21 16:32
The unstoppable duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos2024-05-21 15:27
Intel exec on bringing artificial intelligence into the workplace2024-05-21 15:23
I repeatedly bail out my partner from his financial messes 2024-05-21 15:15
8 watches owned by Formula One great Michael Schumacher are going up for auction2024-05-21 15:14
Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri2024-05-21 15:09
Dutch artist Joost Klein expelled from Eurovision, likely to face charges, Swedish police say2024-05-21 14:36