Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Yak Herding in

Upper Haa

Kinley Dorjee

B.Sc Sustainable Development

Guide tutor

Dr. Tshering Gyeltshen

• Yak herding is practiced in areas located at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 5,600

masl

• Yak farming is Practiced in the ten northern Dzongkhags in Bhutan

• Accounts for 5.2% of the total livestock population and total population of yak in

2013 was 38011 yaks (Department of Livestock, 2013).

• Yaks are main source of livelihood in the higher elevations and are associated to

culture, religion and social life of its herders, their families and communities

• Yak population is declining in most part of the country and especially in Haa

Introduction

Trend in Yak Herders in Haa

2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Series1; 89

89

74

97

77

Series1; 1012

5 9

6

Series1; 23 2319

2919

Series1; 56

54

50

59

52

Chart Title

BjeKatshoEsu Total

Figure 1: Trend in yak farming households in 3 Gewogs

Trend in Yak Population in Haa

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

32273944

3514 35112872

1093

727

727 947

657

575440

520428

313

Bji Katsho Esu

47614886

3842

2011 20132012 20142010

Figure 2: Trend in yak population in 3 Gewogs

4895 5111

Objectives

a. Identify socio-cultural factors influencing yak herding in upper Haa

b. Analyze the economic benefits of Yak Farming

Materials and Methods

Figure 3: Map of Haa Dzongkhag showing the study area

Study Area• The study was conducted in Bjee, Katsho

and Esu Gewogs

• Located at latitude of 27° 15' 54" N and

longitude of 89° 10' 14" E

• About 33.06 % of the total area is under

Tsamdro (pasture land) (Dorji, 2013).

• Altitudes ranging from 1,400 - 4,800 masl,

Bjee

KatshoEsu

Forty household were selected for the survey

• Bjee Gewog-23 respondents

• Katsho Gewog- 11 respondents

• Esu Gewog-6 respondents

Sample Size

Sampling Method Stratified randomized sampling was carried out using lottery

• Each Gewog was considered as different cluster

• Took 40% of the total yak herders from each Gewog based on data of 2010

Data Collection

• Structured questionnaire was used for data collection

• Information such as people’s comments on the yak rearing was collected

through open ended questionnaires

• Data collection was carried out from 20th December 2014 -1 January 2015

Data Analysis

Data was analysed using IBM-SPSS version 22.0

• Inferential and descriptive statistics was used to analyse data

• Means of the different variables were compared using t-test

• Correlation was performed to see association between the variables

Results:Factors Influencing Yak Herding

Labor Shortage

Availability of labourFrequency Percent

Easily available 4 10Not very easy 17 42.5Not available at all 19 47.5Total 40 100

35%

48%

18% very_high high

average

• The average wage for the hired

labor is Nu. 6,000 per month

• The high labor charge was the

result of shortage of labor and

demand for labor

Figure 4: Respondents views on labor charge in the study area

Table2: Availability of labor in the study area

Pasture land degradation

• Yak herders of Haa moves to Tsamdros

situated on the border for the summer

months and shares Tsamdros with 3 hh’s

on average

• Their winter pastures are shared by the

cattle, mainly the Thanors that are kept

during the summer months (Northue)

and horses

45%

35%

20%

Chart Title

yes

no

no change

Figure 5: Pasture land degradation and decrease in palatable grasses in the tsamdros

Geographical and Boarder issues

  Encounter conflict

Plans to shift to other activities

Encounter conflict 1 0.8

Plans to shift to other activities

201 

• The yak herders share pasture land with

Tibetan Autonomous region’s (TAR) yak

herders during the summer months

• Bhutanese herders were denied to follow traditional grazing rights and collect firewood

• TAR herders asks for Threl

• Bhutanese herders are not allowed to replace or graze in the Tsamdros of those who abandon yak herding.

Table 2: Correlation table showing the correlation between conflict encountered and plans to shift to other activities

Mortality and Disease in Yak

72%11%

13%4%

1% gid

wild animals

poisonong

dogs

others

• At least one animal dies either due to

Gid, predators, poisoning or the stray

dogs

• Attack of stray dog is however

expected to decrease due to

intervention of JKSNR

• The gid alone caused 114 deaths in

2014 from the 20 YFH interviewed Figure 6: Causes of yak mortality in the study area

Sources of Livelihood and Income Generation

business

taxi/hire vehicle

carpentery/masonary

labour

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

YHAH

YFH

• Average household income from business is

Nu.268,750

• Those with low income level from the agricultural

activities focuses more on off farm activities

• For the YFH, 65% of the respondents doesn’t do

any of the off farm activities

• mean annual income generated from agricultural

activities including horticulture in 2014 was

Nu.17300 and 11075 respectively for the YFH and

YFAH. Figure 5: Off-farm activities taken by YFH and YFAH

Government Policies and Regulation

15%

25%

20%

18%

23%

not effective at all

effective to some extend

effective

very effective

excellent

• Government policies such as targeted highland

development and establishment of Chhundugang Yak

Century supports yak herding in the area.

• Unlike in other dzongkhags, 60% of the respondents

didn’t encounter any conflicts due to declaration of

pasture land as state property.

• Restriction on controlled burning for better regeneration

hinders their traditional management system

• Declaration of Tsamdro areas as Strict nature Reserve

helped the herders to combat loss of yaks to poachers Figure 6: Level of effectiveness of government policies

Economic Benefit of Yak Farming

A. Cost

Total variable cost (TVC) 200,000

Total fix cost (TFC) 8,100

Total cost=TVC+TFC 208,100

B. Benefit

Total benefit 335,500

Annual net saving (B-A) 127,400

Table 4: Summary of cost benefit of yak herding

Amount in Nu.

Conclusion

• Yak herding is declining due to the various factors such as labor shortage, diseases and trans-

boundary issues.

• Small family size due to increasing number of youths going to educational centers discourages

them from taking up of yak herding as livelihood

• Despite animal health care from the extension centers, the Frequency of Gid is still high in the

Dzongkhag

• Market constrain is another issue in the locality. During the summer months their only market

for the yak and its products is markets across the border

• Yak herding is a profitable job although it involves hardships

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following person for their time and effort in shaping my study:

• Dr.Tshering Gyeltshen, guide tutor

• Kuenga Lhendup, Younten Jamtsho and Sonam Tshering for their effort during data collection

• DLO of Haa dzongkhag

• Golo Tshering, focal person, Chhundugang Yak Century

• Dr. Sonam Lhamo, dzongkhag vetenary hospital, Haa

• Rinchen Choden, data manager, livestock statistics section

• Jojo Tshampa and Penjor

• My parents, siblings and relatives for their support

THANK YOU