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| The Kyrgyz Sheep Herders at a Crossroads |
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Reference |
| Schillhorn van Veen, Tjaart W: 1995 "The Kyrgyz Sheep Herders At A Crossroads", Overseas Development Institute, London |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Kyrgyzstan was subjugated by the Russian empire in the second half of the last century, it had mainly received support from Russia for more than a century.With declining support from Russia it is now adjusting to new economic conditions and suffering.The sheep herders were originally nomads employing an horizontal and vertical migration system, but Russian settlement forced this to change to a system of transhumance.After mining sheep and wool production are the most important activities in the Kyrgyz economy.Some of the important tribes of this region were Kazaks and Kalmucks who occupied the dry plains, and the Kyrgyz who lived in the foothills and mountains of the Tien Shan and the Pamir.They utilised a vertical migration transhumance with high mountain grazing in the summer and settling in the valleys and lowlands during winter.A minority of the Kyrgyz, mainly yak herders, stayed in the high altitude region all year. Russian colonisation during the 19th century changed this transhumance system substantially |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spatial: The mountain areas of the Kyrgyz republic are covered with scattered forests between 1200 and 3000 m, and with thick seasonal grasses above 3000 m. Most of the country is above 1500 m.The climate is continental and extreme, with cold winters and hot dry summers
Social: The Kyrgyz were organised in nuclear families and kin groups which shared common winter camps. Summer pastures were often considered common property of larger groups, and grazing rights were not strictly defined.Grazing rights were based on kinship, although others within the same tribe could be allowed to use pasture, especially in the mountains where the "first come first serve" principle applied.Men did herding, hunting and warfare, women were engaged in doing dairy, making felt carpets |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| The tribal group is controlled by a chief.The chieftainship(manaps) of the tribe is hereditary.Chiefs are assisted by law administraters(bii) and military leaders (batyr) |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Land and resource allocations were managed by local(Soviet) Councils, and based on demand on relationships, as well as on pasture quality. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Not reported in the text |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| The grazing pressure on valley pastures and adjacent foothills has considerably increased and is a cause of major detoriaration. Lowland pastures were always used for cattle and for small holders sheep and goats; and many newly created owners are not yet organised to fully utilising rational grazing systems including high mountain grazing.The lack of fuel is also affecting the grazing syste, as the trucking of high mountain pasture has now stopped. Fuel shortages have forced many mountain herders to graze their animals at lower elevations.
Apart from these, the break up of traditional rotational grazing patterns and the concentration of animals in the midle highlands, may lead to further detorioration in production quality.Among the reasons for this are:1)Mineral deficiency in valleys.Previously these were masked by a)transhumance in the mountains which provided a varied diet
b)Provision of supplements and imported feed and fodder
2)Higher risk of parasitic diseases related to lack of a migration and crowding in sheep folds
3)The breakdown of vaccination programmes and other centrally organised disease prevention schemes,leading to increased prevalence of infectious diseases |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| Russian colonisation changed the grazing pattern, the effects were mainly felt in the lowlands where competition for land ownership developed after the settlement of Russians in the area.Russian occupation of the best grazing lands inhibited nomadism and led to increasing settlement and transhumance.Kyrgyz sheep(especially from the Chui valley) spent their winter in Kazakhstan, whereas Kazak and Uzbek flocks used Kyrgyz summer pasture.Small livestock owners trusted their animals to communal flocks,which grazed farm fields in the winter and, guided by hired herders, migrated to high mountain pastures in summer(refer fig 3)
Sheep, cattle and horses were and are the dominant livestock in the Kyrgyz Republic.Sheep are mainly kept for wool and meat.Modern sheep /wool production began after forced collectivization in the early 1930s, when sheep numbers dropped to less than a million.The Russians introduced wool sheep and created the Kyrgyz Finewool(Merino), thereby replacing traditional breeds such as the Tien Shan and Alai fat tail
Present changes regarding land reform and privatisation: A number of laws, on land reforms and Peasant Economy were passed which created an initial 13 000 small-holders, and increased herder independence.However, the new constitution introduced the principle that all land is the property of the state but that the State could grant rights of possession in the form of 49 year leases.Land taxes/fees are collected by local raion govt. which can keep 50 percent for the exclusive right of development.The rest is passed on to oblast and central authorities.Responsibility for land management has been given to the Pasture Inspection Service of the Parastatal Institiute pf Pasture and Forages.Privatisation of herds and flocks has continued to progress. This change must have accelerated as all collective farms were supposed to become privatised by mid 1995 |
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Purpose |
| To focus the challenges faced by the Sheep Herders in the Kyrgyz Republic |
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Country |
| Kyrgyzstan |
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Region |
| Kyrgyz |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-2/04/96 |
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