Herders in Kunyu City at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have begun a massive seasonal migration of their sheep to warmer pastures as the temperatures drop.
More than 70,000 sheep grazing at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains have set out on their journey to autumn pastures.
In the seasonal migration, the herdsmen have to drive their flocks from their summer site deep in the mountains, traversing several mountains ranges before traveling approximately 60 kilometers along rivers to reach the autumn settlement at lower elevations where the air temperatures are higher.
The sweeping herds wind their way along the foothills of the magnificent Kunlun Mountains, creating a majestic natural picture.
The herders said that this autumn migration will last about 20 days. Upon reaching the autumn pastures, they will perform artificial insemination on ewes to enhance reproductive efficiency, optimize the population, and prepare for the next breeding season.
Stretching more than 2,500 km in northwestern China, the Kunlun Mountains are one of Asia's longest mountain ranges.
Massive seasonal migration of sheep starts in Xinjiang as temperatures drop
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
