Subsidies turn desert control into moneymaker

Rows of small, leafy wild oleaster trees stretch toward the horizon on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Still short and fragile, each sapling is propped up by a bamboo stick to withstand the desert gales, while low carpets of green wheat and alfalfa shield the soil between them.

At first glance, the sparse plot looks like a struggling farm. In reality, it represents a radical ecological turnaround. Little more than a year ago, this site in Hotan prefecture was an arid expanse dominated by shifting sand dunes over 10 meters high.

The transformation relies on an innovative local governance model launched in 2024 — the "first-build-then-subsidize" policy. To balance costly ecological restoration with local economic survival, the government allocates desertified land to residents rent-free. Citizens bear the upfront cost of leveling the dunes and planting drought-resistant vegetation; the government only delivers financial subsidies after independent inspectors verify a tree survival rate of at least 85 percent.

Sudiomar Tursun, a resourceful villager and entrepreneur from Ayimak village, was among the first to gamble on the policy. In October, she formed an agricultural cooperative with 18 fellow villagers to tackle a heavily deserted plot.

To fund the massive undertaking, Sudiomar pooled her life savings, sold personal assets and secured loans from relatives to amass nearly 4 million yuan ($550,000) in upfront capital. The project was so risky that her friends told her she was going to get herself ruined.

"We suffer severe flying dust in Hotan. I have to sweep the floor at home every day," Sudiomar said. "I think if we can do this work and stick with it, it will benefit us — and it will leave a better future for our kids and grandkids."

Under their cooperative agreement, Sudiomar covers the financial risk and equipment costs, while the 18 partners provide the labor, receiving steady wages during the grueling reclamation phase. Once the crops mature and turn a profit, the workers will receive a 20 percent revenue share.

While Sudiomar waits for official forestry bureau verification to trigger her first-year subsidies — which offer 30,000 yuan per hectare for trees and 22,500 yuan for shrubs — the local government has mitigated her risk by absorbing heavy infrastructure costs.

The government has built access roads, and covers the water and electricity costs required to run the irrigation pumps during the project's critical initial establishment phase. Government agro-technicians also visit the plot weekly to monitor soil health.

Hotan's "first-build-then-subsidize" policy has proved popular. According to the prefecture's forestry and grassland administration, 69,900 residents from 18,600 households across 814 villages in the prefecture have participated in the initiative so far. The desertified areas they've volunteered to treat exceed 60,300 hectares.

Ablikim Sawur, head of the administration, said about 13 million yuan in 'first-build-then-subsidize' funds have already been distributed for 660 hectares of desertified areas planted in the fall of 2024.

Residents are expected to benefit from the trees and shrubs they've planted very soon, he said.

The financial viability hinges on clever agricultural engineering. On Sudiomar's plot, a high-yielding, large-fruited oleaster variety is grafted onto native wild oleaster rootstock.

"Wild oleaster is incredibly tolerant of poor soil and harsh winds," said Li Zhijun, a professor of plant diversity conservation in arid regions at Tarim University. "Its ease of establishment is the primary reason it was chosen."

Li said that by grafting a commercial variety onto the oleaster, they achieve an eco-friendly windbreak that produces marketable fruit for the beverage processing industry.

Interplanted alfalfa acts as a nitrogen-fixing crop, gradually enriching the desert sand with organic matter so it can eventually support delicate food crops like wheat. Starting in the third year, the grafted oleasters are projected to generate 22,500 to 30,000 yuan per hectare, with the harvested alfalfa bringing in an additional 30,000 yuan per hectare.

"This approach captures the essence of green development: protecting the ecology while ensuring economic prosperity for the people," she said.

Moreover, planting oleaster and alfalfa together can contribute to the overall success of desertification control, the professor added.

The trees, once they mature, will serve as windbreaks, their height deflecting the worst of the desert gales. The intercropping with alfalfa further anchors the sand, creating a synergistic effect, she said.

"I'm confident that the ecological benefits of this system will be substantial," Li said.

To ensure local residents benefit economically from their desertification efforts, local authorities have done even more.

At an experimental station for desertification control in the prefecture, 147,600 plants of various species have been planted, covering 21 species of trees, 18 species of shrubs, 25 species of herbs, and 12 species of cash crops.

Li Yanzhong, a technician at Hotan County Agricultural Investment Co, which runs the station, said the experimental facility aims to motivate residents to participate in desertification control by offering planting choices with economic value.

Based on data analysis, the station selects candidate species for trial planting in arid desert areas, and through field planting, demonstration and side-by-side comparison with analogous varieties, it identifies those best suited to desert conditions.

"The ultimate goal is to use economic benefits to drive participation from both local residents and businesses," Li Yanzhong said.

Once water-efficient, hardy, easy-to-plant and economically valuable varieties are identified, they are promoted for broader application.

"The station is open to everyone, and all residents and companies are welcome anytime," he added.