Starting from this year, about 100,000 herdspeople in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will be relocated to work in agricultural sector or in cities every year, in order to alleviate the pressure that livestock place on the grasslands there.

There are about one million herdspeople in Xinjiang. According to the relocation plan, during the 11th Five-Year Plan Period, some 600,000 herdspeople will be transferred to work in other sectors, while the rest of them will continue to work in animal husbandry. By doing this, local government hopes to achieve a win-win solution: grassland resources can be protected properly while herdspeople can increase their income, too.

In relocating the herdspeople, local government will develop more man-made grasslands and let the herdspeople settle down near the grasslands. The relocation project is expected to be finished by the 11th Five-Year Plan Period. During this time, local government will develop 10 million mu (1 mu = 1/6 acre) of high-quality man-made grasslands and 10 million mu of forage storing bases. Another 10 million mu of forage storing bases will also be built in agricultural zones. With these efforts, it is hoped that natural grasslands will not be overly exploited.

Xinjiang has 720 million mu of grasslands, accounting for one-third of the total area in the region. In recent years, as more forage has been provided to livestock in winter and spring, the livestock population in Xinjiang has increased to 60 million now. As livestock increase, the natural grasslands are overly exploited during summer and autumn seasons.

(Chinanews.cn April 26, 2007)