How a single sea buckthorn sapling grew into a whole industry chain in Emin, NW China's Xinjiang

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Rayda) news: "Before, when the wind blew, sand would blow around. Now with the sea buckthorn growing, the wind has died down, and we have found a way to make a living," said Mahan Abing, a villager from Halasu Village of Lamazhao Township in Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on September 22, 2026.

Staff members carry out a yield survey in a sea buckthorn forest in Lamazhao Township, Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in late September 2026. (Photo by Liu Peng)

In autumn, patches of sea buckthorn stretch across the Gobi in Lamazhao Township. Orange berries weigh down the branches as local officials and villagers busy themselves with picking and packing.

The township sits on the edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert, 80 kilometers from Emin County and the most remote township in the county. Most of its 22,000 mu (about 1,467 hectares) of farmland is barren Gobi, and its proximity to the Mayitasi wind zone means frequent wind disasters, drought, and little rain.

"Only a few scattered saxaul bushes grew on the Gobi. The environment was harsh, and herding barely brought in any money," Mahan recalled, describing a life full of hardship.

To improve the environment and raise villagers' incomes, Lamazhao Township tried planting wheat, corn, and other crops multiple times between 2010 and 2018, but yields never exceeded 300 kilograms per mu (1 mu is about 0.067 hectares). Adjusting the industrial structure and seeking returns from the Gobi became a shared goal among local officials and residents.

Sea buckthorn is known as the "sacred fruit of the plateau" and "soft gold of the desert." A single plant can stabilize 10 square meters of sand.

In early 2019, the township organized its staff to plant sea buckthorn, with officials leading the way, shovels in hand.

Problems were tackled one by one. By the first half of 2026, the township had invested 26.17 million yuan (about 3.61 million U.S. dollars) to build 23,150 mu (about 1,543 hectares) of sea buckthorn forest, exceeding the township's total farmland area.

Planting trees is hard. Maintaining them is harder.

Lamazhao Township built a reservoir in Halabulake Village to channel meltwater from mountain snow into drip irrigation for 8,100 mu (540 hectares) of sea buckthorn in the southern area. It also dug a 17-kilometer canal across the Gobi to bring river water to irrigate 15,050 mu (about 1,003 hectares) in the western area.

Once the Gobi turned green, the township pushed to transform its ecological forest into an economic one. It adopted a model combining enterprise management, individual contracting, and direct government management.

A total of 18,400 mu (about 1,227 hectares) of sea buckthorn forest was placed under the care of Xinjiang Zhongda Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Another 4,917 mu (about 328 hectares) was contracted out to individual operators. The remaining forest is managed by dedicated personnel arranged by the township, with the income going to the collective land revenue of three local villages.

From 2023 to 2025, the three villages generated an additional 450,000 yuan (about 62,000 U.S. dollars) in annual income.

Notably, the 23,150 mu (about 1,543 hectares) of sea buckthorn entered peak fruiting period this year. Preliminary estimates put the harvest at 4,600 tons. At the current market price of 3.5 to 4 yuan (about 0.48 to 0.55 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, the output value could reach 16.1 million yuan (about 2.22 million U.S. dollars), raising the township's per capita income by 4,889 yuan (about 675 U.S. dollars). Xia Haiyun, a villager from Halabulake, said the sea buckthorn has become a "money tree" for local residents.

The sea buckthorn forest has also created job opportunities close to home.

"Since the township started planting sea buckthorn, many villagers have come to work. There's work and income all year round," said Hainar Wentaertai, Party secretary and village committee director of Mayitasi Village. To date, the sea buckthorn industry has generated over 6,000 person-times of local employment, paid out more than 1.5 million yuan (about 207,000 U.S. dollars) in wages, and provided over 20 long-term jobs.

Hu Yu, a villager from Halabulake, is one of the beneficiaries. He manages 7,000 mu (about 467 hectares) of sea buckthorn saplings and earns 7,000 yuan (about 967 U.S. dollars) a month. "At this rate, it won't take many years to become better-off," he said.

The industry chain is also expanding. Lamazhao Township signed a sales agreement with Xinjiang Longhuiyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and secured 12 million yuan (about 1.66 million U.S. dollars) in project funding to build a 2,000-square-meter standardized sea buckthorn cold storage facility.

The Xinjiang Western Sea Buckthorn Agricultural Cooperative has built and put into operation a sea buckthorn tea processing plant with an annual capacity of 5 tons. It is now preparing to develop deep-processed products such as sea buckthorn juice, freeze-dried powder, and fruit powder.

Xinjiang Silk Road Hongye Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. has invested in a breeding farm in Halabulake Village, currently housing over 20,000 black chickens and employing 12 people.

Drawing on the foot traffic generated by the sea buckthorn industry, Bagdat Abuhai, a villager from Halasu, sells home-raised chickens and eggs, earning over 6,000 yuan (about 830 U.S. dollars) more last year.

Wang Zhiqiang, Party secretary of Lamazhao Township, said the next step is to refine and deepen the sea buckthorn industry, improve the entire chain from processing to storage to sales, and fully tap the value of sea buckthorn.

"We need to protect this green space and keep improving the environment, while also driving steady income growth for villagers and strengthening the collective economy," he said. "We want this sea buckthorn forest to become a forest that brings real benefits to the township, firmly supporting a better life for our people."

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