Gyangze County of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has contracted to export 150 tons of garlic to Nepal.

Tibetan garlic has been gaining in popularity in Nepal since 2002, when Nepalese people paid up to three times the usual price for about 700 kg of Tibetan garlic.

Nyima Toinzhub, director of the agricultural bureau of Gyangze County, said Nepal's annual garlic demand was about 2,000 tons, with huge growth potential.

Gyangze County is also monitoring garlic markets in other South Asian countries which Tibet shares borders with, such as India and Bhutan. Planting garlic has become a pillar industry in Gyangze County, and could earn net profit of 1.5 million yuan (US$181,000) from its garlic exports, said Nyima. The county, with more than 200 years of garlic cultivating history, is planning to devote more arable land to the crop.