Agriculture has long been the mainstay of Tibet's economy. In 1965, the region's agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry sectors were valued at 264 million yuan. Fast forward to last year, and that figure grew to 23 billion – an equivalent of 3.5 billion U.S. dollars. Omar Khan takes a look at one farming base where new jobs, skills and opportunities are on the rise. 

CHI LIE SANG ZHU Veterinarian Linzhou Jingmu Agriculture & Animal Husbandry Development "I've been working here for a year and three months. I came here to work because it matches my studies and profession. I'm a veterinarian here."

There's a sense of happiness and pride for this 24-year-old cow vet, who's found work at this Jiangsu invested farm in Linzhou County of Lhasa City.

The animal husbandry park brought investments of 150 million yuan, roughly 23 million U.S. dollars, creating a work base covering an area of 36 hectares, where cow breeding, fattening and wool production are all underway.

OMAR KHAN Linzhou County, Tibet Autonomous Region "Since opening up in 2019, this farm base employs 58 workers with nearly 80% of them local Tibetans. Here they're provided with a stable income and training. But perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the role, is learning how to use modern equipment and practices."

For workers here the skills and techniques they pick up become transferable, especially important when so many communities and herdsmen still rely on traditional farming.

CHI LIE SANG ZHU Veterinarian Linzhou Jingmu Agriculture & Animal Husbandry Development "Before working here perhaps I didn't come into contact with yaks. Now I'm here and have learned how to raise them. By taking care of them I've learned how to diagnose the animals and see if they're sick. I've learned a lot myself. If cows at my family home or village are sick, they can call me and I'll go there to provide treatment."

Alongside the skills and training being provided by the company, there's also been a healthy bump in local salaries.

ZHOU JINPING Dairy Farm Director Linzhou Jingmu Agriculture & Animal Husbandry Development "Prior to our investment and the company's arrival, workers in our factory relied on raising their own cattle at home. Their incomes were relatively low and unstable. Now that's changed, with salaries ranging between 3,600 and 6,000 yuan, depending on the position. I think that's a good index of happiness."

The company says it has two main purposes, with one tackling standards of living, and the other helping diversify the local economy.

ZHOU JINPING Dairy Farm Director Linzhou Jingmu Agriculture & Animal Husbandry Development "We've had two goals since establishing ourselves here. First is to make sure that there is no poverty here, to enable locals to make money. The other objective is to promote improvements in the variety of industries in the area, including dairy cows, wool cattle and overall production. We want to increase yields and output."

Developing clean energy, improving farming and pastoral areas through local talent are all part of the blueprint.

For employees like the young man we spoke to here in Linzhou, a stable and secure future continues to look promising.