For many years, Pasang Wangdu, President of the Institute of Livestock Science of Xizang Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences do his research on the land of the snow-covered plateau and cleverly applied the scientific and technological achievements to livestock breeding, so that yaks became the strategic support industry for the implementation of targeted poverty alleviation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and benefited thousands of households.

Xizang is the second largest yak producing area in China. The current breeding stock of yaks is more than 4.57 million, accounting for about 22% of the total breeding stock of yaks in China. The genetic resources of yaks are very rich. Expansion of the yak industry is extremely important for developing the economy in the pasturing area, improving people’s livelihood, fighting against poverty, keeping ecological balance, etc. Pasang Wangdu said: “For a long time, the backward and extensive breeding mode of stock keeping depending on weather has led to a long breeding cycle of yaks, low production performance, slow turnover of animal herds, low slaughtering rate of yaks, low commodity rate, and poor breeding benefits. It seems very urgent to carry out scientific breeding.”

To increase the number of yaks supplied to the market and promote the breeding and fattening of yaks, Pasang Wangdu developed, integrated, and demonstrated technical models such as dual-purpose efficient solar greenhouse for yaks in northern Xizang, prevention of weight loss of yaks in the cold season, and intensive field grazing and fattening of yaks in summer according to local conditions; solved the technical problem of artificial insemination of yaks at an altitude of 4,750 meters and above; and helped more than 10,000 poor herdsmen to overcome poverty. He also provided technical services in more than 30 counties in the whole region and offered training to more than 6,000 farmers and herdsmen.

He said: “The difficult problems that restrict the development of the animal husbandry industry in Xizang are like high snow mountains. Only by doing scientific research unremittingly can the treasure of the plateau truly benefit the people on the plateau.”