Tianshan Net/Xinjiang Daily reporter Chen Jianglin
The high and low pigeon cages, the bustling crowd, and the sound of WeChat transfer are endless...... On April 25, the "pigeon bazaar" in Paixianbai Bazar Township, Xinhe County, Aksu Prefecture was very lively.
"Pigeon Bazaar" covers an area of about 10 acres, and it is bustling with people every day when you go to the bazaar. People in the surrounding villages ride electric cars, drive private cars, and sit on buses, and pack pigeons in iron cages, plastic woven bags, net bags, and cardboard boxes...... He even carried the pigeon directly in his arms to catch this "pigeon bazaar".
On April 25, the masses in Xinhe County Paixian Baibai Bazar Township "Pigeon Bazaar" to enjoy the program, watch pigeons, and buy goods. Photo by Zhang Yongding
"My pigeons are beautiful. You see, its coat color looks gray, but as soon as it flies, it flashes green and purple. On its wings, there are also two black stripes. Usman Amat, a farmer from Pai Xian Bai Bazar Village, Pai Xian Bai Bazar Township, stood in front of the pigeon coop and praised his pigeons to the villagers who came to inquire. This "pigeon bazaar" has been coming to the bazaar every week since the market opened in March last year.
Usman Amat is a true farmer who raised pigeons under the guidance of Abudu Reim, a returning entrepreneur. Abudu has been raising pigeons for more than 10 years, and more than 50,000 pigeons are slaughtered every year, which are basically purchased by enterprises, so he is rarely seen in the bazaar.
Usman told reporters that after the land was transferred, he often went out to work, raising more than 300 pigeons, "There are not too many pigeons, but they can also make a lot of money." ”
On April 25, at the "Pigeon Bazaar" in Paixianbai Bazar Township, Xinhe County, the villagers were exchanging their experience in raising pigeons. Photo by Zhang Yongding
Yasen Ru, a villager from Aremaili Village, Paixian Baibazaar Township, who came to catch the bazaar, is a well-known local pigeon farmer. In 2022, he took the lead in raising pigeons under the guidance of the village party branch. Under the guidance of technicians, his breeding scale has grown from a few dozen pigeons to 400 pigeons now.
At the bazaar, Yassen, who loves pigeons, looked around at the pigeon cages. He squatted down to take a closer look, holding the pigeon to see if the feathers had fallen off its wings, and pinching the pigeon's leg to see if there were any fractures. In the end, he spent more than 500 yuan to buy a pigeon from an old man. He said that this pigeon is a carrier pigeon and has been raced in many races and has won very good results. Now this pigeon is too old to participate in the race, and I am afraid that this good pigeon will end up being eaten, so I buy it myself and raise it until I am old.
Yasin said that the pigeon has two fates on the bazaar: it is an elf in the eyes of enthusiasts, and it is a food in the eyes of ordinary people. "Carrier pigeons and somersault pigeons will be worth more than double their value after a long period of training and getting good results in competitions. ”
In Xinhe County, delicacies such as braised pigeon are also famous. The person who buys the meat pigeon usually pays after a simple bargain, and then goes to the slaughterhouse to process it, and then takes it to the bazaar dining area to hand over to the various food stalls. After careful cooking, the marinated pigeon, grilled pigeon, pigeon noodles, and pigeon soup will not take long to be served.
Nowadays, pigeon breeding, breeding, processing ...... The meat pigeon breeding industry in Xinhe County has formed a whole industrial chain, and the meat pigeon breeding and processing enterprises have been quite large-scale.
On April 25th, the pigeons for sale at the "Pigeon Bazaar" in Xinhe County were arranged in the first Baibazaar Township. Photo by Zhang Yongding