DIRANG, 27 Sep: A bankable scheme for yak farming, developed by the National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) here in West Kameng district, has been approved by the NABARD.
The credit plan vetted by the NABARD was found to be feasible for credit support by the lead banks and has been included in the potential linked credit plans of Tawang, West Kameng and Shi-Yomi districts. As a consequence, positive indication has been received from banks for providing credit support for profitable yak farming.
“This will be a shot in the arm for the cause of yak husbandry and will boost the economic dividends of yak herders,” said NRCY Director Dr Mihir Sarkar.
He termed the bankable yak scheme “a game changer in curbing the declining trend of yak population on one hand and in facilitating profitable yak farming through promotion of entrepreneurship on the other.”
“This scheme, along with the recently approved yak insurance policy, will have huge implications for the improvement of yak husbandry and socioeconomic uplift of yak rearers in the country,” he said.
The yak is one of the most prized animals of the Himalayan region and highlanders due to its multifarious roles in strengthening nutritional security through milk and meat, providing shelter and clothing through its fibres, and acting as a beast of burden for carrying loads through hard treks. “It also has immense socio-cultural importance for the pastoral rearing communities due to centuries old transhumance practices,” the director said.
