Livestock in Xinjiang's Altay successfully migrates to winter pastures

More than 750,000 livestock in Altay prefecture, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have successfully migrated from spring and autumn pastures to winter pastures this year, according to the local agriculture and rural affairs bureau.

Many herdsmen in northern Xinjiang still follow the tradition of moving livestock around for seasonal pastures. This year, 827,330 livestock in the prefecture are needed to be moved from spring and autumn pastures to winter pastures and so far 750,600 of them have arrived at the grassland where they will spend the winter, Altay Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau said in a statement on Sunday.

Starting in early November, all migration should be complete before Dec 20, it added. Recent cold snaps and heavy snowstorms have severely affected the migration. Many rescue missions have been carried out in northern Xinjiang to save herdsmen and livestock stranded in blizzards during the migration.

Traditionally, it takes about three to five days for the herdsmen to move the livestock, including sheep and horses, to the winter pastures. Recently some herdsmen also have been using trucks to transport their livestock, which only takes less than a day, the bureau said.

It added that to better care for the herdsmen, more than 100 service stops have been set up along the migration route. They can provide accommodation and medical care for the herdsmen. The livestock can also be fed there.