Acknowledgements

This report has been consolidated by the authors on the basis of technical inputs and feed back received from a number of persons and institutions. We wish to express our gratitude to all who contributed directly and indirectly to this report and/or to the field work which offered the basis for reporting. In particular, we want to thank the Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry-DAAH, Qinghai and the departmental project team, lead by the national project director Mr. Shi Dejun, for excellent collaboration, perfect local coordination and substantive technical contributions. We also wish to thank the international consultants Messrs. Jim Suttie, Peter Harris and Enkh Amgalan for their major technical inputs to the project as well as for their written contributions to this report; particular thanks also to the national consultants (in alphabetical order) Messrs. Li Shuangyuan, Li Xilai, Liu Xiaolin, Wei Zhenwu Xiaolin Luo, Yu Jie, Zhang Guosheng. The contributions were indispensable for the consolidation of this report. Many thanks also to the technical backstopping units in FAO who advised on project implementation and reporting namely the Grassland and Pasture Crop Group (AGPC), the Animal Production Service (AGAP), and the Animal Health Service, AGAH.

Finally we want to thank local authorities in Henan and Zeku counties and in particular the herders of Nanqi and Jilong villages for their wonderful collaboration and warm hospitality during field work, which offered a wonderful learning experience, indeed.

Major acronyms and abbreviations

Unit exchange:

1 USD= 8.2 Chinese Yuan (RMB)
1 ha= 15 Chinese mu