YK Poudel

Pema Lhaden and her family from Sephu, Wangdue, once managed a herd of over 100 yaks. Today, they rear only about 60, a decline driven by challenges such as the unprofitability of yak rearing, limited support for herders, and a dwindling yak population.

Speaking at a two-day training programme on “Product Diversification of Yak Wool Fiber to Improve Livestock Income and Livelihood of Highland Communities,” Pema Lhaden highlighted that yak herders in her community underutilize yak fibre.

“There is a pressing need for electric milk processors among yak-rearing communities,” she said. “Providing such facilities could serve as an alternative source of income for farmers, reigniting their interest in yak rearing.”

In an effort to revitalise the yak wool industry, 46 participants, including 17 yak herders from various highland communities and 19 technical staff from 10 highland dzongkhags, attended a two-day training programme that concluded yesterday.

Bhutan’s highlands, home to approximately 29,699 yaks, produced 3.03 metric tonnes of yak wool last year.

Participants were trained in both the technical and practical aspects of yak wool production, collection, and sales.

Yak-rearing communities in Bhutan face significant challenges, including climate change, shrinking and insufficient pasturelands, poor yak healthcare, and increasing diseases, among others. To address these issues, the Bhutan Yak Federation was established in collaboration with the Department of Livestock to promote cooperation and support herders.

Dorji Lethro, 45, a farmer from Laya who rears 150 yaks, highlighted that growing challenges, especially wildlife predation, have discouraged many yak herders.

The training programme, he said, reignited farmers’ interest in yak rearing. “Until now, we had limited knowledge about yak wool harvesting, fiber processing, market opportunities, and training support,” he said.

He emphasised that government assistance in promoting yak wool and fiber processing, along with providing machinery, would greatly benefit yak-rearing communities.

“Such support would enable us to process yak fibre into clothes and sell them as an alternative source of income,” he said.

Highlanders primarily rear yaks for their livelihood, earning between Nu 200,000 and Nu 300,000 annually, mostly through the sale of butter, cheese, and chugo (hardened cheese).

“For about three months, we focus on cordyceps harvesting because it is highly lucrative,” he said.

However, he noted that cordyceps harvesting has also declined due to the impacts of climate change, further challenging highland communities.

With the combined efforts of government officials, experts, and local herders, this initiative aims to unlock new economic opportunities for the 897 yak-owning households across Bhutan’s highlands.

The programme was initiated by the Department of Livestock (DoL), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO). An estimated USD 35,490 (Nu 2,912,491) could be generated annually from yak fiber if just 50 percent of yaks are harvested for wool.

The training programme was facilitated by Batchimeg Ganbaatar, an industry expert from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology. According to the FAO, fiber processing equipment installed at the National Yak Farm in Haa is expected to equip herders and technical staff with the skills needed to enhance the quality and value of yak wool, transforming it into a high-value export product.

The initiative also seeks to provide alternative income sources for mountain communities, which currently rely on traditional livelihoods such as cordyceps harvesting, while fostering long-term economic stability for future generations.

This project is part of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) between the DoL and FAO, titled Technical Support for Product Diversification of Yak Wool Fiber to Improve Livestock Income and Livelihood of Highland Communities.