Yak industry booms in NW China's Qinghai

The Sanjiangyuan area in northwest China's Qinghai Province, known as China's "water tower," contains the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. It supplies over 60 billion cubic meters of clean water downstream annually. Home to diverse ecosystems, it's one of the world's most biodiverse high-altitude regions.

Yaks roam the grassland in Qinghai Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Qinghai, one of China's five major pastoral areas, has grasslands covering 41.87 million hectares, or 60.5 percent of its total land area. Alpine meadows comprise over 60 percent of these grasslands.

Yaks and Tibetan sheep, adapted to the high-altitude environment, are the primary livestock of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

By the end of 2020, Qinghai boasted a cattle population of 6.52 million, with yaks making up 6.09 million of that number, representing 40.5 percent of the national total and 38 percent of the global total.

Photo shows yaks roaming the grassland in Qinghai Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the province serve as the traditional hubs for yak production, with a combined total of nearly 2.74 million yaks in 2020, making up 45 percent of the province's total.

Yushu boasts the highest number of yaks in Qinghai, being the most important premium yak species breeding area in the province. Yaks in Yushu are known for their strong resistance to disease, stable genetics, and excellent adaptation to high-altitude, cold environments.

Yaks are the primary source of sustenance and materials for local herders in Qinghai. Known as "boats of the plateau," yaks provide more than just meat and jerky. They now offer a variety of products, including milk, wool, and leather.

Photo shows a dish made of yak meat. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Today, an increasing number of yak products are making their way to markets across the country, breathing new life into the age-old animal husbandry industry of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Photo shows yak meat products in Qinghai Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)