A view of the soon-to-be-harvested barley field in a village in Lhundrub county, Xizang autonomous region. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

The eighth Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival was celebrated across the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday with events showcasing the area's rural development and bumper harvests.

In Lhundrub county, near Lhasa, traditionally-dressed villagers conducted a news conference, an opening event, a highland-barley harvesting contest, and an agricultural products exhibition.

According to the regional department of agriculture and rural affairs, agriculture and animal husbandry has seen dramatic improvement since the founding of the Xizang autonomous region in 1965.

Modern harvesters have been increasingly adopted to improve grain output in rural farming areas of the Xizang autonomous region. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

Statistics released by the department reflect that Xizang's grain output has surpassed 1 million metric tons for 10 consecutive years, reaching 1.129 million tons in 2024, almost three times the 1965 level.

Rural living standards have also improved markedly. Per capita disposable income of rural residents rose to 21,578 yuan ($3,000) in 2024, 199 times that of 1965. The added value of the primary sector reached 24.7 billion yuan last year, up more than 100-fold over the same period.

A farmer harvests barley on Tuesday in Lhundrub county, Xizang autonomous region, marking the eighth Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

Agricultural industrialization has accelerated, with 187 enterprises, more than 10,800 rural cooperatives, and 6,000 family farms established by 2024. Some 435 products have been certified as green, organic, geographically indicated, or nationally recognized, and the farm and livestock product processing industry is now worth over 8.7 billion yuan.

Sonam Tsering, deputy head of Lhundrub, said the county accounts for nearly half of Lhasa's barley production. "Lhundrub county has 161,00 hectares of arable land, which accounts for one-third of Lhasa's total. Grain output has increased nearly 35 times, from nearly 1.66 million kilograms in 1965 to 58 million kg in 2024."

Tibetan farmers in a village in Lhundrub county, Xizang autonomous region, perform a dance on Tuesday to mark the eighth Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan farmers in a village in Lhundrub county, Xizang autonomous region, offer barley wine to a guest on Tuesday, during a village gathering to mark the eighth Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]