Qinghai's "15th Five-Year Plan" will expand the forest and grass industry with plateau characteristics to help farmers stabilize the "ecological bowl"

China News Service, Xining, November 9 (Reporter Pan Yujie) On the 9th, the reporter learned from the Qinghai Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau that by 2030, the output value of the province's forest and grass industry will reach 43 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), allowing more farmers and herdsmen to serve "ecological bowls" and eat "industrial rice" at their doorsteps.

On the same day, the Qinghai Province Forestry and Grassland Bureau held a special series of press conferences on the theme of "Getting Started with the 15th Five-Year Plan".

The reporter learned from the press conference that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the forest and grass industry in Qinghai Province increased the employment and income of nearly 480,000 people. The planting area of ​​characteristic economic forests reached 576,800 acres, and the annual output of forest food reached 32,000 tons. Forest food has become the third most important agricultural product after grains and vegetables.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the province will continue to expand its characteristic industrial layout of "Eastern Seabuckthorn, Western Medicinal Herbs, Southern Tibetan Tea, and Hehuang Miscellaneous Fruits", follow a small but refined, characteristic, and sustainable development path, and improve the interest linkage mechanism between farmers and farmers by improving the level of intensive and full-chain development.

The picture shows farmers harvesting fresh seabuckthorn fruits in Huangyuan County, Xining City, Qinghai Province. Photo by Ma Mingyan

It is reported that the province will simultaneously promote the construction of standardized seabuckthorn harvesting bases and improved seed breeding bases, improved seed harvesting nurseries and seedling rapid propagation systems to improve seabuckthorn resource utilization efficiency, raw material quality and forest land output benefits; and promote the transformation of forest musk deer breeding from experience-based to technology-based.

At the same time, the province will support qualified areas to promote the large-scale construction of perennial artificial grasslands and the expansion and breeding of grass seeds according to local conditions, strengthen the investigation and monitoring of Cordyceps sinensis resources in producing areas, promote ecologically friendly mining methods, and gradually form a standard system covering resource protection, mining and utilization, primary processing, quality evaluation and product traceability.

The province will also promote the quality improvement of characteristic forest and fruit producing areas, scientifically optimize the Tibetan tea planting layout, steadily carry out the construction of Chinese and Tibetan medicine planting bases, and improve the standard system for the entire planting process.

In terms of promoting integrated development, the province will continue to create special business formats such as flower sea sightseeing, flower viewing festivals, and pastoral experiences to promote the integration of flowers and cultural tourism industries; integrate forest parks, state-owned forest farms, natural parks and other landscape carriers, cultivate and strengthen plateau ecological health and wellness brands, and promote the integrated development of "ecological sightseeing + science education + industrial experience + rural leisure".