SICHUAN,April.22 (China Tibet Online) "We are now living a comfortable life with an income of nearly 20,000 yuan per year," 63-year-old Juewu Zhima said to our reporter when working at the Snowland Odser Tea Factory in Luhuo County of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

Juewu Zhima's house is not far from the tea factory. "In the harvest season, I go with my husband to pick the tea and at other times I do some cleaning as a watchman, which brings me higher income than before,"said Juewu Zhima.

"We are now living in a new house." Juewu Zhima added that working at the tea factory has brought decent income to them.

Luhuo County's Snowland Odser Tea F is a local Tibetan tea. It uses leaves and buds from the wild odser tree, which grows at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. With traditional and modern technologies, the tea is refined into a natural green and healthy drink,which can help to alleviate high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

In recent years, with the local government's support, Luhuo County has built an odser tea base with more than 40,000 mu, bringing an income of more than three million yuan to the locals,benefitingnearly 20,000 people.

"Ninty percent of the raw leaves are bought from the farmers. Since its establishment in 2008, farmers in neighboring counties like Ganzi and Luhuo are used to picking tea ebetween May and August. Then, we will send workers to purchase tea from them," said Kang Yong,ehead of the factory.　

"Every farmer has increased his/her average income by around 2,000 yuan; the highest earner can earn up to 20,000 yuan. In the past, one jin (equals to 500 grams) of raw leaves would sell for around 60 yuan, but now for the price hikes to 120 yuan,which greatly simulates local people's enthusiasm to engagement in the tea business."Kang Yong added.

According to Tubu, chairman of the Snowland Odser Co.Limited., a 35-mu odser tea base is expected to be built in Ganzi Prefecture with Luhuo as the center.This will create more than 5,000 new jobs per year, further helping the local farmers and herdsmen to get rich. Meanwhile, we will also help other Tibetan-inhabited areas such as Qinghai's Yushu, Guluo and Huangnan Tibetan autonomous prefectures to build the same base.

"Once the base is completed, apart from protecting the fragile environment on the plateau,it will also drive the local tourism industry, and help create jobs for the local people," said Tubu.