Xinjiang's Gobi desert boosts farmers' income

(ECNS) -- Farmers are busy planting vegetables in their greenhouse in Gobi Industrial Park in Shache County in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on May 15. They have been growing vegetables since October last year, and their income has gradually increased.

Under the guidance of technical personnel, my management skills have improved, so I have contracted another greenhouse, and my income this year will reach about 100,000 yuan

Located at the southwestern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, Shache County has the largest population in Xinjiang. It is known for its vast expanse of desert and lack of arable land, with only about 1,300 square meters per capita.

To overcome the difficulty brought by a scarcity of arable land, local people have reclaimed wasteland and built greenhouses in the Gobi Desert near the county.

Wei Xingya, head of the Gobi Industrial Park in Shache County, said that after more than a year of construction, the park has developed a series of industries, including protected agriculture, livestock breeding, and forest and fruit planting.

The park was built at the edge of the Gobi Desert, as transportation, water, and electricity are accessible here, and the abundance of sunlight brings great advantages to the development of protected agriculture.

At present, the Gobi Industrial Park employs 3,000 workers who are from Shache county, Wei said.