FSSAI ( food safety and authority of India) has recently declared that Himalayan yak can be used in making dairy products. Last year Arunachal pradesh-based ICAR – national research centre wanted this to happen and they wrote a letter to FSSAI after that only this has been implemented and yak will now be used in the dairy market.
Food animals are animals which are raised and used by production for consumption by humans.
The main reason behind less generation of revenue from this sector was that earlier yak was not declared a food animal by the FSSAI. Earlier yak milk and its meat were not used for commercial use. With the approval, it will help in increasing yak milk and meat consumption.
Yak milk contains 78-82 per cent of water and it is rich in essential minerals and medicinal value and fats. The mean is considered very lean and it is also better than beef. When yak milk will be consumed it will gradually result in the increased production of ghee and paneer too.
The drastic decline in the yak population in India was becoming a thought of concern that’s why this step was taken to boost and increase yak production. Yaks are reared unorganized and full of hardship, which was very difficult for farmers to grow economically and financially.
As per the latest reports in 2019, the number of yaks present was 58000 which is a 25% drop from the last survey that was held in 2012.
It will be a positive initiative as it will surely and positively help in the production of yak milk and its meat. It will help farmers economically increase the rearing of the animal and increase revenue generation also. In India, there are 26000 yaks in Ladakh and J&KFollowed by Arunachal Pradesh which has 23000 yaks.
The commercialisation of this will help in making folds on income but for that its use in the meat sector should be done. It will encourage farmers and will definitely boost their morale.