Adapting to the High Mountains: A Socio-economic Study of Sheep Farming Communities in the High-altitude Cold Arid Region of Sankoo, Kargil District, Ladakh, India
Manish Meshram *
Central Institute of Agriculture Engineering, Nabibag, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
HM Khan
Division of Livestock Production Management, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
M Abdullah
Mountain Research Centre of Sheep and Goat, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
AH Akand
Division of VAHE Veterinary Animal Husbandry Extensions, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
IU Sheikh
Division of Livestock Production Management, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Fozia Shah
Division of Physiology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Qaz Shehriyar Sahib
Animal Husbandry Department, Kishtwar, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir 182204, India.
Rameshwar
RVS Collage of Agriculture and Research Station, Bemetara Indra Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sheep can climb mountains easily and can bear the cold temperature of the place, and also contribute in multiple ways to help the rearer. A survey was conducted across seven villages in the Sankoo region of Kargil district—Achamaboor, Chooskore, Kargee, Kochick, Namsuru, Prentee, and Taisuru—to assess the socio-economic characteristics of sheep rearers. This particular area is characterised by a cold, arid, and high-altitude climate. A total of 140 individuals were interviewed using a pre-designed questionnaire. The findings indicated that the vast majority (75.71%) of respondents lived in nuclear families, with most (75.71%) households being small, consisting of fewer than six members. While roughly a quarter (23.57%) of respondents identified agriculture as their primary livelihood, a notable proportion (31.42%) engaged in sheep farming as a secondary occupation. Landholdings among the respondents were typically marginal, averaging about 4.81 ± 0.16 kanals (0.60 acres). Over seventy per cent (74.28%) of those surveyed reported a monthly income between Rs. 11,000 and Rs. 20,000, with the average income being approximately Rs. 20,552.47 ± 1,236.08. Nearly half (44.28%) of the sheep rearers fell within the 21-40 age bracket, and 35.00% had completed middle school. Approximately a quarter (25.00%) of the respondents possessed 5-10 years of experience in sheep rearing. Significantly, women played a substantial role, with 91.00% actively participating in various sheep farming activities. The average flock size per household was relatively modest at 11.23 ± 0.10 sheep. Beyond sheep, other livestock were also commonly kept; 52.17% of households had goats, typically ranging from 1-5 animals (averaging 2.71 ± 0.19), and 70.00% owned 0-2 cattle (averaging 2.30 ± 0.43). In light of these findings, it is recommended that government policies be revised to emphasise commercial livestock farming, thereby enhancing employment opportunities, nutritional well-being, and overall livelihood security for the residents of the Sankoo region.
Keywords: Socio-economic, agriculture, sheep, sheep rearers, Sankoo region