People of Nubri and Yagsa chiwogs under Tsento Gewog in Paro were forced to sell their yaks for slaughter after the pandemic hit their dairy and cordyceps business last year. According to Tsento Gewog, nearly 45 yaks from these two chiwogs were sold for meat.
Besides cordyceps, butter and hard cheese (chugo) are their main cash-generating commodities. Only in emergency cases, they resort to selling yaks to slaughterhouses for financial assistance. Highlanders like 51 years old Rinchen said that he sold two adult yaks for money after both cordyceps and dairy products he produced stacked up at his home.
“Due to the pandemic, we were not able to sell our butter. We totally depend on it for income. So our source of income is affected. Similarly, we collect cordyceps but there is no market, therefore, we had to sell yaks for sustenance. In my case, I only have about 13 yaks, so I sold two yaks this year,” said Rinchen, from Nubri under Tsento Gewog.
According to the highlanders, the demand for butter has also gone down. They said the barter system of butter with rice from the low land has also disappeared. And without a source for income, they have to sell their livestock for slaughter.
Due to the scarcity of meat in the market following the closure of borders, the highlanders fetched nearly double the price for their yaks compared to the previous years.
“Unlike in the past, we were able to fetch a good price for the yaks. For a yak, we were able to make nearly Nu 90,000. From it, we were able to meet our daily expenses and the expenses for rearing livestock,” said Rinchen.
“This year we have permitted nearly 45 yaks to sell it for slaughter. As per their request, we sought permission from relevant offices while selling the meat in town as well,” said Doley Tshering, the Tsento Gup.
Now with the situation getting better and people returning to normalcy, highlanders are optimistic that their stock will get a market and they won’t have to sacrifice their animals anymore. There are 17 yak herders in Nubri and 28 yak herders in Yagsa under Tsento Gewog in Paro.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
