LHASA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Inside a greenhouse located some 4,500 meters above sea level, Yangjen walks through a field to check the growth of cucumbers, green peppers and radishes.

"In the past, vegetables were very hard to come by here," said the 33-year-old farmer in Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. "Even saplings cannot survive the cold and dry climate here, let alone vegetables."

"Most of the vegetables we used to eat were transported from outside the region. Their prices were high and choices very limited," said Yangjen. Many locals had to rely heavily on foods high in fat and animal protein.

To increase vegetable supplies on the high plateau, local authorities in Ngari have over the past year made great efforts to develop modern agriculture by, among other measures, building high-efficiency solar greenhouses and intensive vegetable production bases.

The local government also brought new vegetable breeds to the region, and invited experts to train local farmers to improve their planting expertise.

In addition, farmers and herders have been encouraged to build small greenhouses in their backyards to further improve the rate of self-reliance concerning vegetables in the region.

In 2020, Ngari produced a total of 5,300 tonnes of vegetables, up 680 tonnes or 14.7 percent from 2019.

"Now, we eat the vegetables we grow by ourselves. I also make 3,000 yuan (about 465 U.S. dollars) by selling them," said Yangjen. "I feel at great ease and happy."

"Despite challenges from the adverse climate, a lack of capital and expertise, we have managed to create an oasis of vegetable fields on the high plateau," said Tsering Dondrup, an official with Ngari's agriculture and rural affairs bureau. Enditem

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