Highland barley harvest underway at vast farming base in Qinghai(1/3)

A worker operates a harvester to reap highland barley at a 16,000-mu (about 1,067-hectare) planting base in Delingha City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on Oct. 12, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Ma Mingyan)

The base for producing highland barley liquor is in the midst of its autumn harvest. In recent years, it has adopted a business-farmer cooperation model, providing stable jobs for more than 30 local farmers and herders and increasing their annual per capita income by 36,000 yuan (about $5,400).

A worker operates a harvester to reap highland barley at a 16,000-mu (about 1,067-hectare) planting base in Delingha City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on Oct. 12, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Ma Mingyan)

Workers inspect the quality of freshly harvested highland barley at a planting base in Delingha City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on Oct. 12, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Ma Mingyan)