<p>Guwahati: Meat and milk products of yaks reared in high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh may soon be sold under the banner of the country's first co-operative society comprising yak rearers. </p><p>At least 17 yak rearers recently formed the co-operative society named Arunachal Pradesh Yak Herders and Products Development Cooperative Society Limited, under the aegis of National Research Centre on Yaks (NRCY), situated atop 5,000 feet at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh. The NRCY is an agency under the Indian Council for Agriculture Research. (ICAR) </p><p>"We are trying to induct at least 50 to 60 yak rearers to uplift yak husbandry so that more people get encouraged to take it up as a livelihood option," director of the centre, Mihir Sarkar, told <em>DH</em> on Friday. </p><p>Yaks are reared by the Brokpa and Monpa tribe in West Kameng and Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. While milk products prepared from highly nutritious yak milk are now mainly consumed by locals, the NRCY is trying to promote the same in markets to increase income of the yak herders. </p>.Arunachal assembly's budget session to begin on Feb 8.<p>The initiative to form the co-operative society was taken months after yak churpi, the fermented cheese made from yak milk, got GI tag and the yak meat was accepted as a food item by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. </p><p>"The cooperative society while working with ICAR-NRCY will focus on the behavioural aspects of the yak herders and owners in terms of knowledge, attitude and skill development, besides the development and promotion of yak products," Sarkar said.</p><p>The Cooperative society hopes to increase the social inclusion of the yak Brokpas with the aim to achieve socio-economic upliftment of the yak herders. Besides, the society will strive to provide a platform where the main stakeholder of this unique livestock enterprise – the yak herders--will play the major role as a decision-maker to ensure the sustainable growth of yak husbandry in the future," he said.</p><p>K Mepfhuo, a scientist at the ICAR-NRC-Yak played a key role as chief promoter in forming the cooperative society, Sarkar said.</p><p>Yaks are reared in high altitude areas in the Himalayan region but the Arunachali yaks are a unique breed in respect to their body shape, size, strain and weight. Arunachali yaks are also the only registered yak breed in India, Sarkar earlier said.</p>
<p>Guwahati: Meat and milk products of yaks reared in high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh may soon be sold under the banner of the country's first co-operative society comprising yak rearers. </p><p>At least 17 yak rearers recently formed the co-operative society named Arunachal Pradesh Yak Herders and Products Development Cooperative Society Limited, under the aegis of National Research Centre on Yaks (NRCY), situated atop 5,000 feet at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh. The NRCY is an agency under the Indian Council for Agriculture Research. (ICAR) </p><p>"We are trying to induct at least 50 to 60 yak rearers to uplift yak husbandry so that more people get encouraged to take it up as a livelihood option," director of the centre, Mihir Sarkar, told <em>DH</em> on Friday. </p><p>Yaks are reared by the Brokpa and Monpa tribe in West Kameng and Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. While milk products prepared from highly nutritious yak milk are now mainly consumed by locals, the NRCY is trying to promote the same in markets to increase income of the yak herders. </p>.Arunachal assembly's budget session to begin on Feb 8.<p>The initiative to form the co-operative society was taken months after yak churpi, the fermented cheese made from yak milk, got GI tag and the yak meat was accepted as a food item by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. </p><p>"The cooperative society while working with ICAR-NRCY will focus on the behavioural aspects of the yak herders and owners in terms of knowledge, attitude and skill development, besides the development and promotion of yak products," Sarkar said.</p><p>The Cooperative society hopes to increase the social inclusion of the yak Brokpas with the aim to achieve socio-economic upliftment of the yak herders. Besides, the society will strive to provide a platform where the main stakeholder of this unique livestock enterprise – the yak herders--will play the major role as a decision-maker to ensure the sustainable growth of yak husbandry in the future," he said.</p><p>K Mepfhuo, a scientist at the ICAR-NRC-Yak played a key role as chief promoter in forming the cooperative society, Sarkar said.</p><p>Yaks are reared in high altitude areas in the Himalayan region but the Arunachali yaks are a unique breed in respect to their body shape, size, strain and weight. Arunachali yaks are also the only registered yak breed in India, Sarkar earlier said.</p>