Himalayan yak gets food animal tag; milk and meat to be used

• The Himalayan yak has earned the food animal tag from the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
• The categorisation is expected to help check the decline in the population of the high-altitude bovine by making it a part of the conventional milk and meat industry.

Yak Population in India

• 2019 census - India has some 58,000 yaks – a drop of about 25% from the livestock census of 2012.
• Reason for decline
• Less remuneration from the bovid
• Discouraging younger generations from continuing with nomadic yak rearing.
• The sale of yak milk and meat is limited to local consumers.

Benefits from recognition

• Commercialisation of yak milk and meat products will lead to entrepreneurship development
• Will help farmers rear the yak economically
• Will open up several vistas of economic benefits for both farmers and food processors.

Prelims Takeaway

• FSSAI