HIMALAYAN YAK - ENVIRONMENT
News: Himalayan
yak accepted as food animal by FSSAI
What's in the news?
● The
Himalayan yak has been accepted as a
food animal by the scientific panel of Food Safety and Standard Authority of
India (FSSAI), after recommendation from the Department of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying (DAHD).
● After
this, it will be finally notified in the gazette after approval of competent
authority.
Key takeaways:
● The
categorization is expected to help check
the decline in the population of the high-altitude bovine animal by making
it a part of the conventional milk and meat industry.
Himalayan Yak:
● Himalayan
Yak is long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of
the Indian subcontinent, Tibetan Plateau, Myanmar and as far north as Mongolia
and Siberia.
● They
are accustomed to very cold temperatures and can survive up to -40 degrees but
find it difficult when the temperature crosses 13 degrees.
● The
total yak population in India is about 58,000.
Habitat:
● Yak
is found throughout the Himalayan region
- Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, North Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir - while wild Yak is found in Tibet. It is also
found as far north as Mongolia and Russia.
● The
Highest Yak Population is in the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and
Kashmir.
● It
is followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal and
Uttarakhand.
Protection Status:
● IUCN Status:
Vulnerable
● CITES:
Appendix I
● Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act of
1972: Schedule I
Importance of Himalayan Yak:
● Himalayan
Yak is a lifeline for pastoral nomads
living in the higher reaches of the Himalayas as it provides them milk, fiber,
and meat.
● The
long hair of yak has water-resistant properties and can be a good packing
material. Nomads also use yak hair to weave material for making tents.
● The
yak plays a multidimensional socio-cultural-economic role for the pastoral
nomads who rear it mainly for earning their nutritional and livelihood security
due to the lack of other agricultural activity in the higher reaches of the
Himalayan region where it is difficult for animals except the yak to survive.
Why is it categorized as a food animal?
● The
Yak population in the country is decreasing
at an alarming rate over the years.
● According
to the 2019 Census, India had some
58,000 Yaks, marking a drop of about 25% from the last livestock Census
conducted in 2012.
● The
reason why the yak population is decreasing is that yak farming is less
remunerative. The animal’s milk and meat are not part of the conventional meat
and dairy industry and are consumed only locally.
● Hence,
categorizing it as a Food Animal will make the Yak a part of the conventional
milk and meat industry and will help check the decline in its population. It
could also encourage more people to take
up yak farming.