On the morning of Sept. 17, Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, and president of the Xizang Branch of the Buddhist Association of China, visited a quinoa planting and processing base in Sakya County, Xigaze City, to learn about the development of the industry and its role in increasing local incomes.  

The Sakya quinoa industry is a notable outcome of Shanghai-Xizang scientific and technological cooperation. The Sakya quinoa variety was developed through in-depth cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2024, "Sakya quinoa" was included in the National List of Famous, Special, Excellent and New Agricultural Products. 

In recent years, Sakya County has worked to integrate the development of the quinoa industry with efforts to increase local incomes. Through land transfers, agricultural machinery leasing and employment in local jobs, the industry has helped local people increase their incomes by more than 20 million yuan in total. The area planted with Sakya quinoa has now reached 10,000 mu (about 6.67 square kilometers). Annual quinoa yields are about 300 jin (150 kilograms) per mu, with an output value of about 3,000 yuan per mu.