The Changes in Grassland Animal Husbandry and Herdsmen’s Life in the Qinghai Pastoral Area of China Based on the Perspective of Changes in the Grassland Property Rights System

Yujiao Gou, Lizhuang Hao, Yayu Huang, Xinyan Jin, Airu Zhang () and Hongbo Ma ()
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Yujiao Gou: Key Laboratory of Alpine Grassland Adaptation Management of Qinghai Province, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Lizhuang Hao: Key Laboratory of Alpine Grassland Adaptation Management of Qinghai Province, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Yayu Huang: PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
Xinyan Jin: Key Laboratory of Alpine Grassland Adaptation Management of Qinghai Province, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Airu Zhang: Key Laboratory of Alpine Grassland Adaptation Management of Qinghai Province, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Hongbo Ma: Qinghai Institute of Public Administration, Xining 810001, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: Based on the historical background of the changes made to the grassland property rights system, the first part of this study restores the changes in property rights systems in six major autonomous counties of grassland animal husbandry production in Qinghai region, while the second part qualitatively analyzes the changes in grassland animal husbandry operations and herdsmen’s life under the changes in property rights. The results show that, with the reform of the property rights system, the range of livestock grazing has changed from large-scale nomadic grazing to regional rotational grazing. The herds are mainly yaks and Tibetan sheep, accounting for more than 90%, with the proportion of Tibetan sheep being higher than that of yaks. The numbers of total livestock and those on the market first rose and then declined, showing a dynamic balance in recent 10 years, while the number of breeding female animals has increased year by year. Artificial grass planting has gradually become popularized in pastoral areas. The time span of livestock supplementary feeding has increased and is more scientific, and the output value of animal husbandry has increased year by year, showing a strong peak associated with intensification. The proportion of the population engaged in animal husbandry has decreased gradually with increasing population in the region. The income sources of herdsmen have become more and more diversified and are increasing year by year, and the Engel coefficient presents a downward trend. The human environment in pastoral areas has improved. Based on the above analysis, suggestions for the sustainable and high-quality production of animal husbandry under the current grassland property rights system are put forward, as well as for the construction of green organic agricultural and livestock product export land in Qinghai Province.

Keywords: Qinghai province; property rights system; animal husbandry; herdsman (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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