FAO.org

A newly formed enterprise “Zenghi-Baba” marks a milestone in yak milk processing

The official ceremony in the central market on 21 August marked a milestone for Murghab, Republic of Tajikistan: the opening of the district’s only processing company. The newly formed LLC “Zengi Baba” is the country’s first producer of dairy products from yak milk.

Women of different rural municipalities collectively launched a small-scale production of hard cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream from yak milk. Herders also supply the capital city with premium yak meat cuts.

The ceremony was attended by the FAO Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan, Viorel Gutu, and was opened by Mamat Tumarov, the Head of the jamoat. Official addresses were also given by Mirzobay Dzhoushbaev, Head of the local administration, and Abdulaziz Gulamaydarova, Director and Founder of Zenghi-Baba LLC, and Inna Punda, Project Coordinator within the FAO Investment Centre.

The dairy shop in Murghab is one concrete result of the training course organized by FAO’s Investment Centre as part of a larger technical assistance project tailored to support the formation of a yak herders group in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). This project is part of the Agrarian Structures Initiative, a programmatic regional initiative for Europe and Central Asia.

It sought to develop the link between yak herders in remote mountain areas of Tajikistan and markets in the capital city by advancing the value chain for yak products. To achieve this ambitious goal, FAO partnered with the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme of Aga Khan Foundation on social mobilization and with the Association of Veterinarians of Tajikistan (also supported by FAO at the time) to address animal health and food safety concerns, a vital element for market acceptance.

The Murghab district lies in the eastern part of the GBAO and is home to semi-nomadic communities, mostly of Kyrgyz origin. People living in the highlands of the province were among the poorest in the former Soviet Union. Their primary source of income is derived from livestock: yaks, sheep and goats. 

The dairy course was delivered by an expert in yak milk from Mongolia, who helped women farmers to understand the fundamentals of milk quality, elaborate collection schemes, and learn the adequate processing technology. Regional dialogue and, in particular, the exchange of know-how between countries with similarities was promoted throughout this project. South-West Mongolia has a wealth of knowledge on milk collection and processing and this was particularly suitable given its likeness to the environment and culture of the Murghab district. For generations, Mongols have possessed the unique processing technology of yak milk, which differs significantly from the chemical composition of cows’ milk. In particular, yak milk has almost double the fat content of cows. FAO brought the knowledge and the know-how that allowed herders to invest with their own funds into business opportunities.

The project brought on board top international expertise to deliver this hands-on training on processing, milk payment arrangements, demand assessment and marketing. This expertise was central to achieving tangible results in such a short time span – only six months. Herders now understand their animals as presenting a commercially viable opportunity. The positive impact of this shift in perspective cannot be overstated. The project not only supported the poorest communities in the region, but also promoted smart ecosystem management thanks to optimized herds of animals and a new, market-driven approach to animal husbandry. To scale up this success, the region requires external investment in processing facilities and power supply. The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, with the support of the FAO Investment Centre, continues to seek funding to scale-up the pilot.

To learn more, watch how this “newly opened Tajik dairy shop has marked a milestone in milk processing”.