In autumn, Xizang has clear skies and light clouds, with qingke (highland barley) bending low. From both banks of the Yarlung Zangbo River to the banks of the Nyang Qu River, from the canyons of eastern Xizang to the Changtang grasslands, qingke across the region has successively begun to be harvested. The ninth Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival in 2026 arrived as scheduled. In recent days, the autumn harvest frontline has been filled with gratifying scenes of grain returning to the granary, the strong pulse of policies benefiting the people, and the vigorous atmosphere of strengthening agriculture through brands.

From the banks of the Yarlung Zangbo River at an altitude of over 3,500 meters to the Lhungze River valley at more than 3,800 meters, the autumn harvest has unfolded successively from lower to higher elevations. On the ridges of Zhanang County, harvesters shuttle back and forth, plump ears of grain are drawn into the cabin, and threshing and binning are completed in one go. Villagers at the field edge stand watching, with sickles in their hands now serving only as backup tools.

Photo shows the autumn harvest scene, where agricultural combine harvesters are working efficiently in the fields. [Photo/Huang Shangqian]

The changes in the fields are not limited to replacing people with machines. At the breeding base of the Shannan City Institute of Agricultural Sciences, space mutation varieties such as "Zangqing 2000" and "Shanqing No. 9," sown in April this year, completed their second harvest in the spike-row nursery. Senior agronomist Tashi Tsering squats on the field ridge, using a tape measure to measure plant height and record the variation characteristics of each plant. These seeds that have undergone space "baptism" are accumulating data for the next round of improved variety promotion. The city's promotion rate of improved crop varieties exceeds 92.5%, the comprehensive mechanization level of agricultural machinery reaches 75%, and total grain output remains stable above 168,000 tons, achieving ten consecutive years of increase.

Photo shows the autumn harvest scene, where staff inspect crop growth conditions in the fields.[Photo/Huang Shangqian]

In Banbar County, Qamdo City, the highland fields are equally busy. Portable harvesters shuttle back and forth, and farmers and herders seize the fine weather to carry out harvesting, transport, and drying in an orderly manner. 

The setting sun stretches the field ridges long, and tractors filled with qingke drive along the village roads, with barley grains in the truck beds gleaming yellow and black. What the autumn harvest brings in is not only grain, but also the confidence of science and technology taking root in the land.

Agricultural machinery is the foundation, and policy is the guarantee. Localities have introduced income-increasing measures tailored to local conditions, allowing farmers and herders to take more advantages in the harvest. In Banbar County, Qamdo City, the local authorities strictly uphold the bottom line of food security, continuously optimize the planting and breeding structure, improve agricultural facilities, and promote agricultural machinery technology, consolidating the foundation for rural industrial development.

On the other hand, Lang County, Linzhi City, has issued several measures to continuously promote income growth for farmers and herders, deeply advancing the "five good" coordinated promotion, introducing the high-yield and high-quality qingke variety "Shandong No. 7" suitable for local planting, establishing an improved seed breeding base, increasing the coverage rate of improved varieties, and driving the masses to increase income. 

In terms of skills training, localities have organized agricultural technical experts to go deep into the fields to provide on-site guidance and cultivated a group of "expert-type" farmers.In terms of industrial development, new business entities such as science and technology planting professional cooperatives have continued to grow, driving the masses to participate in large-scale and standardized production.In terms of consumption assistance, through exhibition and sales activities, e-commerce platforms, and other channels, highland specialty agricultural products have been brought out of Xizang and toward the whole country.

The Harvest Festival is not only a festival for celebrating the harvest, but also a window for showcasing brands and promoting sales. Before then, in conjunction with the Lhasa Shoton Festival, Xizang held a centralized exhibition and sales activity for regional public brands titled "Snow Region Treasures·Brand Revitalizes Agriculture." For the first time, 11 regional public brands across the region made a collective appearance, receiving an enthusiastic response. 

Grains of qingke move from the fields into processing workshops, onto exhibition and sales booths, and onto the dining tables of consumers nationwide. Behind this are the support of science and technology, the assistance of policies, and the empowerment of brands. Opening a new chapter through a bumper harvest and promoting revitalization through solid work, Xizang is using solid work in the fields to write this sentence stroke by stroke on the earth.

Reporter: Liu Siyu, Sun Kaiyuan, Wan Hui, Fan Chongyan

Translator: Tenzin Seldron, Zhi Xinghua

Reviewer: Drakpa Wangchen, Hu Rongguo