Published by: World Tibet Network News Tuesday - October 7, 1997

Xinhua is the official news agency of the People's Republic of China

Lhasa, 7th October: Tibetan yaks are providing a new source of income for herders in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Guangxi Beihai International Economic Development Ltd Co recently signed a contract with four Tibetan companies to jointly develop the yak industry.

In addition, new rapid growth, slaughtering and cold storage technology have entered Tibet from other parts of the country.

Tibetans, who refer to yaks as "Treasures of the Plateau" , never fully realized the potential economic value of the animal.

"Large numbers of yaks formerly died during the harsh cold winters in Tibet. Treasures turned to waste," according to Professor Zhang, director of the International Yak Information Centre.

Tibetan yaks will enter both the domestic and international markets. Tibet plans to establish a yak industry stock company in the near future to develop the international market.

The "mad cow" epidemic in Britain, which alarmed European beef lovers, has presented an excellent opportunity for Tibetan yaks to enter the world market.

A symposium on the yak industry development will be held in Tibet next spring, according to the Tibetan Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department.