Stories
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Calls for Roadmap to Strengthen Yak Conservation
N
News18•18-10-2026, 12:45
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Calls for Roadmap to Strengthen Yak Conservation
- •Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu urged for a comprehensive roadmap to boost yak conservation, improve herders' livelihoods, and unlock the economic potential of yak products.
- •Speaking at the Yak Economy Summit 2026 in Tawang, Khandu highlighted that supporting Brokpa communities is vital for national security and the preservation of Himalayan culture.
- •The proposed roadmap emphasizes mapping yak populations and seasonal grazing camps, forming cooperatives like the Arunachal Pradesh Yak Herders and Products Development Cooperative Society, and adopting scientific rearing practices.
- •Khandu stressed the commercial potential of yak dairy products such as cheese and ghee, calling for better value chains, investor involvement, and product marketing.
- •Additional proposed measures include yak insurance policies, bankable farming schemes, preserving indigenous germplasm, and integrating tourism activities like cottage stays into yak-based livelihoods.
Key Questions Answered
Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced a comprehensive roadmap focusing on policy support, mapping yak populations and grazing camps, establishing the Arunachal Pradesh Yak Herders and Products Development Cooperative Society, and exploring a yak insurance policy and bankable farming scheme.
Yak associations from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh have been formed and brought together under the umbrella of the Yak Federation of India.
The Brokpa are a nomadic pastoralist community primarily inhabiting Tawang and West Kameng, renowned for high-altitude yak rearing and sustaining a traditional lifestyle centred around seasonal migration and dairy production.
