Chili peppers enrich Xizang river valley

In late August, the harvesting of chili peppers was in full swing in Nang county, Nyingchi city in Southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region.

Nestled in the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River valley at an average altitude of 3,200 meters, Nang county benefits from approximately 2,500 hours of sunshine annually and experiences significant temperature differences between day and night.

“The prime environment results in chili peppers with higher vitamin C and anthocyanin content compared with counterparts growing in lower-altitude areas,” said Du Jiayun, general manager of Nang County Rural Construction Co, a state-owned enterprise specializing in manufacturing and selling chili pepper products.

Farmers and herders in the county have been growing chili peppers for more than a century. In recent years, both the cultivation area and average yield per mu (about 667 square meters) have increased, Du said.

In 2025, Nang county planted 2,000 mu of chili peppers, with total yield reaching up to 3,900 tons, the local government said.

Behind the change was the assistance of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, whose experts helped Nang county breed excellent chili pepper varieties and provide regular technical training support.

In addition, Du’s company signs three-party contracts with each household and the local rural and agricultural affairs bureau.

“The contract ensures that each household can sell their chili peppers to our company at a fixed and fair price and the payment is made on time,” Du said.

According to Du, the company purchased a total of over 960 tons of fresh chili peppers in 2025, paying out more than 5.96 million yuan ($888,040) for the acquisitions. During the peak harvest and manufacturing season, the company engaged 1,190 local farmers and herdsmen across various tasks — including picking, de-stemming, sorting, and loading — and paid out 225,600 yuan ($33,614) in wages, enabling residents to find employment and increase their income close to home.