District Animal Husbandry Department Leh in Collaboration with National Research Centre on Yak (ICAR-NRC-Y) Dirang Arunachal Pradesh organised the 2nd Ladakh Yak Herders Association meet 2019 on October 10.

Sachin Kumar, DC Vaishya was the chief guest while Dr. Prithviraj Chakravaty ,Director (ICAR-NRC-Y) was the guest of honor. Dr Vijay Paul Scientist (ICAR-NRC-Y), ICAR sr. scientists,district officers, doctors, departmental staff and Yak breeders from different blocks of Leh district participated in the meet. 

Sachin urged the yak herders to take full interest by ensuring their participation in all kinds of training and awareness programmes. He further urged that the department to make this initiative successful by educating and spreading awareness to the yak herders about the benefit of yak products as one of the main source of income generation.

“As campaigns are being carried out for saving tigers nationwide, similarly, yak breeders should work to save the beautiful mountain domestic animal. In this direction, setting up of society based organisations like cooperative societies can prove highly beneficial in the long run. Unlike commercial business, yak breeding is more sustainable which demands less money and effort whereas its benefits are higher in terms of dairy products, hair, skin, manure”, added Sachin Kumar. 

Looking at less availability of market for yak products, DC Sachin gave his assurance for set up a formal market linkage for the breeders.
 
Dr. Prithviraj expressed hope of yielding fruitful results for yaks and its breeders from this collaboration. He gave a detailed account about ICAR-NRC-Y and its functions and interests, benefits from yak breeding and the main objective of ICAR-NRC-Y to conserve and improve the livelihood of yaks in high altitude areas. 

A new branch office of ICAR-NRC-Y will be opened in Leh in coming years which will serve as centre of information on yaks, he added.
 
Dr. Mohd Iqbal, CAHO, Leh said that the department is working to conserve yak breeders where the adverse effect of tourism has seen a considerable decline in yak population.

“Pashmina yak products also has a higher intensity to earn higher value”,added Dr Iqbal.

He spoke about various departmental schemes and other skilled based programmes of the department in rural areas engaging young generations like knitting, weaving and others.  He also announced that ‘churpey (yak cheese) drier’ will be distributed soon in the district. Later, he requested yak breeders to ensure their animals with yak insurance where the department would also contribute its share.   

Later, DC Sachin distributed tents and kits to the yak breeders. An interaction session was also held to discuss the prevailing condition of yaks in different areas of the district. Besides, demonstration stalls on the preparation of yak cheese and other yak product stalls were also on display.