Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter: Chen Jianglin, Correspondent: Xu Lili) news: "A batch of chilled mutton is being sent to Shanghai today, and another 200 cases are bound for Jiangsu Province." On January 26, 2026, workers were busy packaging and sorting mutton at the workshop of Congling Herdsmen Food Trade Co., Ltd. in Wuqia County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Tursunahong Muming, the company's person in charge, said the improved Kirgiz mutton products had become a hit in the market, with the company's sales reaching three million yuan (about 431,450 U.S. dollars) in 2025.

Photo taken on January 5, 2026 shows vacuum-packaged Kirgiz mutton was packed in batches by staff at a branch of China Post in Wuqia County and shipped to all over the country. (Photo by Wang Jingbin)

At the same time, in a farmers' cooperative in Kangshiweier Village, Heiziwei Township of Wuqia County, herder Toerdali Apaer beamed at the improved breed of sheep in the pens. "I sold 150 sheep last year, earning more than 40,000 yuan extra compared with previous years — all thanks to scientific breeding!" he said.

As a premium local breed on the Pamir Plateau, Kirgiz sheep once faced a predicament of low survival rate, slow slaughter cycle and poor economic returns due to the traditional extensive breeding model.

Today, empowered by scientific and technological innovation for breed improvement and driven by brand building for industrial extension, Kirgiz sheep have not only seen their value soar, but also made their way out of Wuqia County, emerging as a pillar industry for rural vitalization in the region.

"Previously, a 70 percent sheep survival rate was considered good enough, but with the new technologies nowadays, raising the survival rate to over 95 percent and shortening the slaughter cycle by two months," said Xiao Pengbo, a relevant person in charge of the animal husbandry and veterinary station of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Wuqia County, showing the breed improvement archives. In 2025, the county completed artificial insemination for 72,000 ewes, with the coverage rate of high-quality breeding sheep rising to 85 percent.

To lay a solid foundation for fine breeds, the local government has built 32 breeding stations, two breed improvement centers and five core flocks, forming a complete system of breeding, propagation and promotion. Technical personnel have gone deep into pastures to teach herders skills hand in hand, enabling more and more herders to master modern breeding techniques such as scientific feed formulation and precise epidemic prevention.

Photo taken in October 2025 shows staff members of the animal husbandry and veterinary station of Tuoyun Township, Wuqia County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, inspect the growth of Kirgiz sheep. (Photo by Gu Chenglin)

"In the past, live sheep could be sold for at most 30 yuan per catty, but now processed into chilled mutton and flavored cooked food, it can fetch more than 50 yuan per catty," Tursunahong said.

In recent years, the local government has expanded sales channels through live-streaming e-commerce and contract farming. Wuqia County Sudayuan Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., located in Tuoyun Village of Tuoyun Township, has brought Kirgiz mutton to the Yangtze River Delta market via live streaming, selling more than 1,400 sheep in 2025 and generating over 400,000 yuan in revenue for the village-run enterprise.

To address the problems of scattered, small-scale and weak livestock breeding, Wuqia County has innovatively adopted a linkage model of "Party branch + cooperative + herders", establishing Party organizations along the industrial chain and pooling efforts for industrial development under the guidance of Party building.

At present, the county has set up 10 specialized cooperatives for Kirgiz sheep breeding, and assigned animal husbandry technicians to stay in villages to provide full-process support from breed selection and disease prevention to product sales.

Adhering to the principle of "ecological priority and livestock breeding based on grassland capacity", the local government has carried out a 700-mu natural grassland restoration project and promoted a scientific rotational grazing model. Meanwhile, with the support of Jiangsu Province's paired-up assistance funds, a core flock breeding center for Kirgiz sheep has been built and a "pasture-solar complementary" project developed, achieving a win-win situation for ecology and economic benefits and consolidating the foundation for sustainable development.

"We will continue to deepen the development of the Kirgiz sheep industry, keep extending the industrial chain and increasing product added value, making this golden business card of the plateau industry even more brilliant," said Wang Ju, secretary of the Party Committee of Wuqia County. He added that the goal is to help more herders in border areas live a prosperous life by riding the wave of characteristic industries.

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