Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Oct 18: District Animal Husbandry Department Leh, in collaboration with National Research Centre on Yak (ICAR-NRC-Y) Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, organized the 2nd Ladakh Yak Herders Association meet 2019 at AH Department Leh today.
On this occasion DC/CEO LAHDC, Leh, Sachin Kumar Vaishya was the chief guest while Director (ICAR-NRC-Y), Dr Prithviraj Chakravaty was the guest of honor. Dr Vijay Paul, Scientist (ICAR-NRC-Y), ICAR senior scientists, CAHO Leh Dr Mohd Iqbal, District officers, doctors, departmental staff and yak breeders from different blocks of Leh district participated in the meet.
DC Sachin urged the yak herders to take full interest by ensuring their participation in all kinds of training and awareness programmes. He stressed that the department has the responsibility 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.
Looking at less availability of market for yak products, DC Sachin gave his assurance for setting up of a formal market linkage for the wider good of 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 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.
CAHO Leh, Dr Mohd Iqbal said similar to Pashmina, yak products also have higher intensity to earn higher value. He announced that ‘Churpey (yak cheese) drier’ will be distributed soon in the district. He then 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. A questionnaire session was also held to discuss about the prevailing condition of yaks in different areas of the district. Demonstration stalls on preparation of yak cheese and other yak product stalls were also on display on the occasion.
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