NORTH-SOUTH CENTRE - ETH - North-South Centre North-South ...

Improving grazing systems with
yak-cattle crossbreds in Nepal
Sawiris Scholarships – Science & Technology for the South
In Nepal, livestock husbandry is an important source of livelihood,
in particular in the mountain regions. About one million
hectare of the total pasture land available in the country
(12% of total land area) is situated in mountainous regions.
Traditionally, common natural resources with a high potential
for livestock production are used for this activity. However,
rangeland productivity is constantly declining due to
high grazing pressure of mixed herds of domestic animals
such as mountain goats, sheep and large ruminants (cattle,
yaks and their crossbreds, which are called “Chauries” in
Nepali). Consequently, the sustainability of the livestock
production system in the Nepalese highlands is severely
threatened, and conflicts between different groups of herders
about the use of pasture land affect the social relations.
Among the three currently applied livestock production systems
– transhumance, sedentary and stall-feeding – the
transhumance mode is the oldest one. Its specific feature
is the herd movement between different grazing sites from
temperate to high alpine altitude. The objective of this project
is to promote a sustainable use and management of
the natural pasture resources of the Eastern Himalayan
Mountains by improving the existing transhumance systems.
Simultaneously, the productivity and quality of milk
from yak-cattle crossbreds should be increased.
The study area is the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in
the Taplejung district. In a first step, we will conduct a survey
to characterise the local transhumant pastoral system
of this area. Following the survey, a controlled grazing experiment
will be performed at five different study sites, which
are located at three altitudinal levels following the seasonal
ascending and descending transhumant herd movement
along the pastures and sub-pastures. In this experiment, we
will assess forage intake, animal behaviour, milk yield and
quality of the milk and milk products such as butter and
ghee. Additionally, we will record changes in the vegetation
such as herbage biomass yield in relation to the stocking
densities before and after grazing. In parallel to the
controlled grazing experiment, the Chauri herd movement
patterns under free-ranging conditions will be recorded in
detail.
Research fellow
Shanker Raj Barsila, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
85
Supervisor
Michael Kreuzer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Collaborators
Svenja Marquardt, ETH Zurich, Switzerland;
Naba Raj Devkota, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Duration
September 2009 – August 2012
Capacity development
Sawiris scholarships
A crossbred yak carrying goods
in the Eastern Himalayan Mountains, Nepal