Headed to market

However, travel between the two townships became much easier when a 34-km paved road was completed last month.

The winding road drops from an altitude of 4,200 meters to 3,500 meters and connects 2,300 herders living in three villages to the trading township below.

"The travel time has been cut to a 30-minute drive by van," said He Dongming, deputy director of the transport bureau of the county."The milk is fresher when transported down the hill, so the sale price for milk has increased from 4 yuan to 7 yuan for a half liter."

He said it was no longer a buyer's market and if the herders were unhappy about prices offered for their products they could simply take them back home. The herders can also travel to other townships in the county to seek better prices for their products and customers can drive up the mountain and buy produce and goods directly.

"The passive role of our herdsmen has completely changed," He said.

With an investment of 50 million yuan, road construction began in 2018 as part of the Ministry of Transport's poverty eradication plan aimed at improving infrastructure in Zamtang county.

Since 2009, the Ministry of Transport has invested 2.14 billion yuan in targeted poverty relief efforts for the prefecture's Xiaojin, Zamtang and Heishui counties, and Sertar county in the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture, building 127 roads covering 1,440 km.