A tractor drives along a swath of the Barkol Grassland in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County, Hami prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Aug. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Gao Han)
The pasturelands surrounding northwest China’s Tianshan Mountains have entered harvest season as autumn approaches. Farmers in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County, Hami prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have been busy baling forage that will be used to feed livestock in the winter on the Barkol Grassland north of the eastern segment of the range.
Agricultural mechanization has been increasing in Xinjiang in recent years. Mowing equipment, raking equipment, balers, and other types of machinery have made it possible for the autonomous region’s farmers to bundle hay into bales in a rapid manner, greatly improving efficiency.