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Returning Farmland to Forest Bringing Prosperity to Tibetan Farmers
"Landslides have diminished since the logging of forests has stopped. Our incomes are also growing," said Yan Muchu, a Tibetan farmer in Miyaluo Town of Lixian Country in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Miyaluo means "Happy Land" in Tibetan. Most of the farmers there are Tibetans. Situated in the Zagunao River Valley on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Miyaluo used to be covered by dense forests.
However, due to years of logging, much of the mountain slopes became barren, causing serious soil erosion. Farmers also became poorer and poorer.
In 1998, China banned natural forest logging in the upper reaches of the Yangtze and last year, Sichuan led the country to turn crop land on mountain slopes back to forests.
Yan's family has 17 mu (1.13 ha) of farmland on mountain slopes and has planted 12 mu of trees. Yan said that one mu of his farmland can yield 150 kg of corn a year, but the land would become useless after years of soil erosion.
"The good news is that the state gives us 150 kg of grain for each mu of farmland every year that is returned to forest, so we don't have to worry about what to eat," he said, adding that with the help of local agro-technician, he grow vegetables using plastics. Each mu can bring in 6,000 yuan by selling the vegetables in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.
"We also have time to do some tourism on the side," Yan said, "so our income is much higher than before."
Rang Bu, head of Miyaluo Town, said that more than 800 mu of farmland have been returned to forests. Miyaluo has plenty of rain and vegetation. In the fall, the maple tree leaves become red across the whole valley, attracting a lot of tourists and bringing more income for farmers," said Rong. "Miyaluo is beautiful not only for its red leaves but also for its clean air and cool weather in summer," said Deng Chengde, Lixian's Deputy Magistrate. Ding expects that tourism will become the pillar industry for the local economy.
Dang Zhi, a farmer in his 60s, has seen changes in the forests in his hometown over the past decades. "Now that forests has recovered, wild animals have returned and tourists from big cities come here for sightseeing. Miyaluo has once again become the Happy Land," Dang said.
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