Livestock Sustainability In Pasture-based Farming In Mongolia

Mongolian livestock has been the mainstay of the agriculture sector and the basis of its economy and culture for millennia.During the century,the livestock number in Mongolia is steadily increased and peaked about 70 million heads in 2017.Before 1990,livestock sector comprises almost 90 % of the domestic agricultural industry.However,Mongolia began the transformation to a market economy since 1990,and all herds have privatized to herders and the share of the livestock in economic decreases around 20 percent of GDP recent years.The increase of livestock number is to be a significant benefit to household’s livelihoods.It provides a sufficient source of income to support their household whereas livestock breeding faced many challenges such as stagnant production and yields,inclement weather,climate change,grassland deterioration,poor management,diseases,and the necessity to use breeding stock to meet high export quotas.The aims of this study are i)to perform a comprehensive assessment of sustainability in pasture-based livestock farming systems in the semiarid region of Mongolia and ii)to examine sustainability on dynamic of livestock and herder’s livelihood at the forest and dry steppe region in Mongolia.By the first objective,we followed a case-study approach to perform an in-depth investigation of 200 herders with four species-mixed animals(sheep,goat,horse,and cattle).The questionnaire and interview with herder implemented in 11 soums of Tuv,and Uvurkhangai province in Mongolia.Critical points of sustainability,including weaknesses and opportunities,were obtained using a participatory process with herders that resulted in the selection of 24 sustainability indicators.Indicators were classified according to the systemic attributes defined by MESMIS(productivity,stability,self-reliance,adaptability,equity)and according to the classical sustainability pillars(social,economic and environmental).The results showed that the herders with more than 1000 head livestock scored highest on productivity and stability attributes of sustainability,as well as on the economic dimensions of sustainability.However,highest values on the adaptability,equity and the self-reliance attributes of sustainability were estimated on herders with less than 200 head livestock.The overwhelming of herd size seems more sustainable on economic efficiency and productivity,whereas it has negatively affected on environmental issues such as pasture carrying capacity.Overall,there were the most sustainable system on >1000 head of livestock(43.80%),followed by the 200-500 head livestock(41.92%),less than 200 head livestock(40.91%),and 500-1000 head of livestock(40.85%).Each farm size scored differently for diverse attributes,indexes,and individual indicators.The scores differed according to size,structure,resource availability and managerial skills,which implies that it would be difficult to apply a holistic sustainability analysis to farming systems instead of individual farms.Some methodological questions arose during the evaluation process relative to the farmer’s perception of these indicators,their relevance,and meaning,the reference values for comparison,or their validity to assess sustainability across spatial and temporal scales.To success next an objective,the changing profile of livestock sector in relation its sustainability has been studied in the Ulaanbaatar Capital city and Dundgobi province.The share of each region in major livestock has shown a significant change during the decade of 1990-2017,though variation in concentration of different livestock species across different regions is visible.Increase in proportion of some species and decrease in others in the regions seem to have influenced the speed of intensification across different regions.The study has suggested a need to increase meat production.The study found that the average annual income of a herder household is approximately 2.4 million MNT.Over 80% of income consists of income from livestock breeding.Of herders covered by the survey about 75% noted that the natural environment and weather conditions have deteriorated,pasture yield has declined,and open sources of water have become more difficult to find.A majority of herders(68.3%)views fodder and hay preparation as the most difficult among over ten different tasks in livestock production.The main reason for herders’ satisfaction in being engaged in livestock breeding is related to the fact that it is the main source of their livelihood(68.5%).The study has emphasized on an appropriate livestock mix and increasing animal productivity through scientific management for the overall social benefits from this sector.Also,budgetary allocations to research in this sector should be enhanced to evolve innovative production technologies leading to improved animal production efficiency.