In recent years, Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner in Baotou city, home to vast grasslands, has faced severe challenges due to factors such as drought, low rainfall, and overgrazing. Animal husbandry has always been a prominent and advantageous industry in the banner, so to address these issues, the banner has been developing its livestock industry in a scientific and orderly manner while protecting the grasslands.

In the Tianyu Muge Darhan Muminggan Grassland Sheep Industrial Park, rows of sheep pens are neatly arranged and fully equipped with automatic water supply systems and good air circulation.

The sheep pens are clean and tidy with advanced facilities. [Photo/Baotou Evening News]

The industrial park adopts a sheep trusteeship model, in which enterprises, collective village economies, and herders sign trusteeship contracts.

Herdsmen can contribute grasslands, livestock, and fodder as shares, while enterprises and local villages can together contribute fodder. After raising, the sheep are then sent to Tianyu Muge for slaughtering and are distributed nationwide, with herdsmen sharing dividends.

The herdsmen who no longer need to herd sheep in the grasslands can work in the industrial park or seek jobs elsewhere, increasing employment opportunities while addressing the issue of overgrazing.

"The sheep trusteeship model has formed a complete sheep industry chain. This approach solves the herders' market access problem and alleviates overgrazing, achieving a balance between livestock and grasslands," said Liu Fei, general manager of Inner Mongolia Tianyu Muge Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Technology Development Co in the industrial park.