Tibet banking blueprint

Today we bring you the third installment of our four-part special coverage on Tibetan Banking and Local businesses. In this episode, our reporter Xia Cheng continues his trip to remote parts of Tibet -- and finds out how banking has changed Tibetan farming.

A lucky pig indeed.

The rare Tibetan breed only grows well in the Tibetan sun.

Darwa is the owner of the farm and the first female to start her own business in the county,

Beside pigs, she also grows tibetan highland Chickens.

To earn cash more quickly, she developed her front yard into a highland willow field, and sells the saplings.

The local government's initiative to support women in business helped her get startup funds -- interest free.

Samdrup, Manager of Agriculture Bank of China(Qushui), said, "She had about 900 thousand yuan worth of assets, and she had never defaulted. She's a nice person, educated, and knows how to do business."

Now Darwa has enough cash flows to support her credit, she's keen to expand.

"Now I have 100 pigs, I will increase it to 500. The number of chickens will rise to 1000 from 300. It brings in about 100 thousand yuan a year..." Darwa, Farm Owner, Qushui County, said.

Tibet has another unique kind of livestock, Yaks.

It's a major source of meat for locals, as well as of dairy products.

On the banks of the "saint lake" Yamdrok Yumco lies a dairy farm.

It produces snacks from yak milk solids.

The owner of the workshop Gya Xa learnt the recipe from a neighboring county, and he expanded production by training local villagers.

That's where he put his first tranche of borrowed funds, to start the business.

Now he is looking for bigger markets.

"I signed a deal with the Lhasa department store, to sell my milk snacks there. I'm thinking about borrowing more money from the bank, to increase production. I need to produce much more for the deal." Gya Xa, Dairy Farm Owner, Nagarze, Tibet, said.

Bank lending in Tibet jumped more than 50 percent last year. Whether it's micro loans for small farms, or extended financing for dairy factories, Tibet's diverse and unique banking services are helping to underpin the locals' drive for success.