Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu has sought a roadmap to conserve yaks, improve herders’ livelihoods and develop yak-based products.Addressing the Yak Economy Summit 2026 and Yak Mela at Mago in Tawang district on Saturday, Khandu said yak rearing was central to the Himalayan region’s fabric and had strategic significance. He stressed support for Brokpa communities and pastoral families in border areas.Khandu said the Yak Federation of India brought yak associations in Arunachal, Sikkim, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh under its umbrella. The federation will hold a follow-up meeting in February to review measures to improve herders’ incomes.He called for mapping yak populations, herders and seasonal migration routes, including grazing camps, to aid infrastructure planning and herd management.Khandu proposed an Arunachal Pradesh Yak Herders and Products Development Cooperative Society to organise herders, improve bargaining power and market access, and encourage commercial ventures.The roadmap is expected to involve the Army and the ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak. Khandu advocated scientific breeding, capacity building and semi-intensive practices developed by the Centre while protecting grazing systems.Measures discussed included amenities at seasonal settlements, a grazing tax regime for Brokpa communities, conservation of indigenous yak germplasm, breeding and herd records, quality breeding animals, insurance and a bankable yak-farming scheme.Khandu said yak cheese, ghee, milk products and fibre could generate returns through improved processing, branding and marketing. He also suggested tourism opportunities such as homestays, guiding and crafts, linked to the Vibrant Villages Programme and Ranbhoomi Darshan.
