A Tibet Times report published April 26 and circulated by ANI warns that Chinese government campaigns in Tibetan areas are putting nomadic livelihoods at risk by encouraging herders to sell animals to slaughterhouses.
Official notices dated April 6, the report says, show Gade County in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture deployed roughly 100 officials across several townships to promote so-called “livestock off-take policies.” Authorities are said to be emphasizing subsidies and other incentives to persuade herders to sell yaks and sheep, holding outreach meetings aimed at increasing participation and stabilizing rural incomes.
Sources quoted by Tibet Times describe these measures as part of a broader set of state interventions that have steadily eroded pastoral life. Policies such as fencing grasslands and dividing pastures by household have reportedly produced pasture shortages, forcing many nomads to rent grazing land. Alongside annual livestock slaughter quotas, these pressures are driving some families toward urban relocation, undermining both economic stability and long-standing cultural practices.
Locals told the outlet that the campaigns clash with religious and cultural traditions—particularly the practice of releasing animals that would otherwise be slaughtered—and that many Tibetans resist complying with directives to sell livestock.
The report also outlines a complex system of taxes, subsidies and insurance schemes linked to animal ownership. Herders reportedly must use ear tags and registration certificates, and in some cases provide animal remains to claim compensation for losses. Taxation varies by locality and may include per-animal fees, mandated livestock contributions, and housing or land levies. Insurance programs, including ones connected to Ping An Insurance, require premiums for death compensation, a setup critics argue increases state control over animals and grazing land.
Tibet Times cites data showing that large-scale relocation policies have affected hundreds of thousands of Tibetans over the past two decades and warns that millions could be impacted if the trends continue.
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