Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

fectively addressed some of the deep-rooted problems that restrict agricultural
<strong>and</strong> pastoral productivity, stimulate the further development of these sectors.
2 Challenges <strong>and</strong> Opportunities in agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral Development
2.1 Challenges in agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral development
At present, work related to farmers, agriculture <strong>and</strong> the rural area has entered
a new period of development. Tibet has made significant progress in
agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral development. Both production capacity <strong>and</strong> farmer
income levels have achieved a historic breakthrough. However, compared with
modern agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism in the more developed provinces, we still
face many problems <strong>and</strong> difficulties in agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral development,
<strong>and</strong> the gap is obvious. Overall, agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism in Tibet are still
in the foundation-laying stage in transitioning from traditional farming <strong>and</strong>
nomadism to modern agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism. The main challenges are
as follows. First, there is a gap between our current production capacity <strong>and</strong>
that of modern agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism. Second, there is a gap between our
current scientific <strong>and</strong> technological capacity <strong>and</strong> that of modern agriculture
<strong>and</strong> pastoralism. Third, there is a gap between our current market process <strong>and</strong>
that of modern agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism. Fourth, there is a gap between our
current organization capacity of farmers <strong>and</strong> herdsmen <strong>and</strong> that of modern
agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism. Fifth, there is a gap between the current skill level
of farmers <strong>and</strong> herdsmen <strong>and</strong> that of modern agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism. In
short, we still face some crucial <strong>and</strong> uphill battles <strong>and</strong> have the historic task
to accelerate development <strong>and</strong> narrow the gap with the developed provinces.
Therefore, the main tasks <strong>and</strong> historical missions in agriculture <strong>and</strong> pastoralism
include transitioning from traditional to modern farming <strong>and</strong> pastoralism,
achieving a substantial increase in farmer income, <strong>and</strong> striving to enter a fairly
well-off society by 2020 together with the rest of China.
2.2 Opportunities in agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral development
1. We face unprecedented opportunities in agricultural <strong>and</strong> pastoral development.
The special status for Tibet has brought with it all kinds of support <strong>and</strong>
preferential treatment. The central government has held five Working Conferences
on Tibet, putting forward a series of preferential policies <strong>and</strong> support
measures. Early this year, when the Fifth Working Conference on Tibet was
held, the central authorities set out some ambitious goals for Tibet. By 2015, the
gap between the per capita net income of Tibetan farmers <strong>and</strong> herdsmen <strong>and</strong>
the national average is to be significantly reduced, with basic public services
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> > > 6. Achievements <strong>and</strong> Visions of Agricultural <strong>and</strong> Pastoral Development in the Tibet Autonomous Region