Highland Barley from Aheqi County

Highland Barley from Aheqi County

　　Aheqi County, under the jurisdiction of the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is a border county located in the hinterland of the southern Tianshan Mountains in western Xinjiang. It borders Kyrgyzstan to the north and west, Wushi County to the east, Keping County to the southeast, and neighbors Bachu County and Artux City to the south and southwest respectively. The county also adjoins Kyrgyzstan to the north and west, covering a total land area of 16,800 square kilometers. The terrain is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, sloping from west to east. The southern range of the Tianshan Mountains runs across the entire territory, with the Kuokesala Ridge in the north and the Kalatieke Mountain in the south. The Toshigan River flows from west to east through the county, creating a unique landscape of two mountains enclosing a valley. Aheqi County has a mid-temperate continental arid climate, with indistinct seasons, a long winter without summer, and spring and autumn merging together. There is a large diurnal temperature variation. The multi-year average temperature is 6.2°C, with severe winters and a frost-free period between 120–160 days. The annual average precipitation is around 180 mm, while evaporation reaches about 2,311 mm. The county boasts extremely abundant water resources, fertile land, and convenient irrigation. Its cultivated land is rich in organic matter and contains moderate levels of trace elements such as available boron, copper, and zinc. The soil and climatic conditions are highly suitable for the growth of highland barley.

　　 Product Features: Highland barley boasts many advantages, including high resistance to lodging, high yield, and elevated levels of lysine. Its nutritional value is no less than that of other grains, and in some cases even surpasses them. Highland barley is also a raw material for brewing and is rich in trace elements. It contains vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and various other components that promote normal human metabolism and replenish essential substances required by the body. Additionally, highland barley can be used as premium feed for livestock. The grain is an excellent forage, with higher nutritional content than corn, while its straw serves as high-quality fodder—suitable for drying or being made into green feed. Its palatability is superior to that of wheat straw, making it an important winter feed for livestock in high-cold mountainous regions.