Garze Highland Barley

Garze Highland Barley

Garze Highland Barley is a product certified under China's Agricultural Product Geographic Indication scheme.

　　Garze Prefecture is an ethnic autonomous region primarily inhabited by the Tibetan people, located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It covers an area of 156,000 square kilometers, with elevations ranging from 1,000 to over 7,000 meters, and an average altitude of over 3,500 meters. The southeastern part features high-altitude deep mountain valleys that are rainy and humid, while areas below consist of dry-hot river valleys, with relatively distinct seasons; the northwestern region has high altitudes, undulating plateaus, and a mix of farming and animal husbandry, mostly forming a cold semi-desert zone with long winters, no real summers, and connected spring and autumn seasons... The total population is 962,000, with about 86% being Tibetan. The prefecture administers 18 counties and one management bureau, among which 17 counties grow highland barley, and 15 are major production counties. Highland barley cultivation is mainly distributed between altitudes of 2,000–4,000 meters. Depending on variety requirements, the growing period requires an effective accumulated temperature of ≥0°C ranging from 900–1,500°C, with annual precipitation between 400–1,100 mm.

　　Highland barley is rich in nutritional value and has notable medicinal and health benefits. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement, highland barley helps regulate qi, soothe the middle energizer, build strength and vitality, eliminate dampness, induce perspiration, and relieve diarrhea. Tibetan medical texts such as the Crystal Beads Materia Medica classify highland barley as an important medicinal ingredient used to treat various ailments. Garze Highland Barley is one of the oldest grain crops in Garze Prefecture. In 1978, archaeological findings in Batang County, including records from the Book of Sui·Annex Biography, mentioned “the land is suitable for wheat and highland barley,” indicating a documented history of highland barley cultivation in Garze Prefecture of over 1,400 years. Since liberation, through the hard work of several generations of agricultural scientists, Garze Highland Barley now has the country’s only original highland barley seed base, the first highland barley seed multiplication base, and a new variety breeding base.

　　Currently, apart from Luding County, 17 other counties in Garze Prefecture cultivate highland barley on approximately 500,000 mu (about 33,333 hectares), accounting for 40% of the total crop cultivation area in the prefecture. In 2012, the output value of highland barley reached 368 million yuan, with an average increase in income of over 600 yuan per farming household. Garze Highland Barley is a nationally protected product under China's Agricultural Product Geographic Indication scheme.

　　 Geographic Scope

　　The geographic indication protection area for Garze Highland Barley includes 17 counties in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province: Kangding County, Danba County, Jiulong County, Yajiang County, Daocheng County, Luhuo County, Garze County, Xinlong County, Dege County, Baiyu County, Shiqu County, Sertar County, Litang County, Batang County, Xiangcheng County, Daocheng County, and Dengchen County. The geographical coordinates are between 97°22' to 102°29' east longitude and 27°58' to 34°20' north latitude. It borders Ya'an City to the east, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province to the south, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the west, and Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and Qinghai Province to the north. The protected area spans 500,000 mu, with an annual output of 81,700 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Garze Highland Barley has abundant root systems; stems are upright, hollow, smooth-surfaced, green in color, turning yellow upon maturity; leaves are thick and broad, with relatively light coloration; seeds are large and plump, fully exposed and completely separated from the husk, coming in oval, diamond, and conical shapes, and a variety of colors including yellow, green, brown, purple, and black. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Garze Highland Barley contains ≥52g/100g total starch and ≥1.0mg/kg vitamin E, both significantly higher than average levels, contributing positively to human health and development. (3) Safety Requirements: Garze Highland Barley complies with the "Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Highland Barley" (DB51/T640-2007) standard.