KP launches Rs300 million project to conserve rare yak population

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa livestock and fisheries department has planned to spend Rs300 million over the next three years on conserving yaks in Upper Chitral, where officials say the species has been declining in recent years and is now among the rarest forms of livestock in the province.

Officials of the livestock department said the yak is a high-altitude livestock species adapted to the rugged environments of the Hindukush, Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. In Pakistan, they said, the animal is found almost entirely in the remote valleys of Upper Chitral, where it has long been tied to the livelihoods, traditions and culture of mountain communities.

According to the officials, families living above 3,000 metres have for generations relied on yaks for milk, meat, butter, cheese, wool and transportation in areas where conventional livestock do not survive easily. They said the animal is not only an economic resource but also part of the heritage and identity of indigenous communities in Upper Chitral.

The officials said the species is now under pressure from climate change, degradation of alpine pastures, indiscriminate crossbreeding, the absence of organised breeding programmes, limited veterinary care and a lack of scientific conservation efforts. Citing the 7th Agricultural Census 2024, they said Pakistan has only 1,923 yaks, making it one of the country’s rarest livestock species.

Project features

Recognising what officials described as a neglected but strategically important sector, the livestock, fisheries and cooperatives department has proposed what it says is Pakistan’s first comprehensive Yak Conservation and Productivity Enhancement Project. The scheme, estimated at Rs300 million, has been placed under the Annual Development Programme for 2026-2029.

Under the plan, a dedicated Yak Research and Conservation Centre will be set up in Upper Chitral. The project will also include a nucleus herd of 50 purebred yaks, comprising 40 females and 10 males, aimed at preserving indigenous genetics and supporting improved breeding.

Officials said the initiative will develop modern animal housing, laboratories, farmer facilitation facilities and research infrastructure to support scientific breeding, animal health, nutrition and productivity improvement. It also includes training for local livestock keepers in better yak husbandry, breeding and herd management.

Livelihood and tourism component

The project also seeks to promote value addition in yak-based products including milk, cheese, butter, meat and wool, along with traditional handicrafts. Officials said it would also encourage ecotourism and cultural tourism through Yak Festivals and awareness programmes.

They said the initiative is among the flagship interventions under the Green Tourism pillar of the Livestock Roadmap 2031, linking livestock conservation with biodiversity protection, sustainable tourism, rural livelihoods and climate resilience. According to the department, the project is expected to help conserve Pakistan’s endangered yak population, establish sustainable yak farming clusters, raise milk and meat production, create jobs, strengthen mountain economies, improve food security and generate scientific data for future breeding and conservation policies.