Herders to restore pasture degradation
A project “Green gold and animal health” has launched in Uvurkhangai province in central Mongolia with the funding of the Swiss Development Agency.
Herders to restore pasture degradation. A project “Green gold and animal health” has launched in Uvurkhangai province in central Mongolia with the funding of the Swiss Development Agency. ‘Association of pasture users groups of Mongolia’ NGO is to implement the project in the period until 2020. Prior to it, a pasture management project to develop herders’ institutions was implemented in seven western provinces and the Government and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture advised to promulgate its successful practices to other provinces, said director of ‘Association of pasture users groups of Mongolia’NGO N.Gankhuyag. Within the project, a pasture management working group will be established in each selected rural unit to conduct monitoring on pastureland and to set up pasture using groups. Pasture using groups, which is composed of 30-50 families each will be trained to define pasture land state, use and degradation of pasture. The NGO plans to cooperate with herders to increase value of wool and cashmere of yak and baby camel through processing the raw materials and supply it to national producers. The project implementer also sets a goal to export babe camel wool, as quality of baby camel wool can be improved to the level of cashmere fiber through combing. A survey showed that pasture lands of northern rural units have been affected by degradation the most. The number of animals has grown up, causing overgrazing of 3-4 times. Pastureland degradation has impacts on herders’ livelihood. It is estimated that one herder family gets loss of MNT2.6-3.6 million annually due to pasture degradation. Therefore due attention is required to be paid to pasture degradation. As a result of the project, herders will be able to define the cause and state of degradation and how to restore it. A new system will be established that additional finance source, generated through supply of value added products will be spent on pastureland and successful model of the four rural units will be introduced to other areas.
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