Livestock farmers of Mary velayat report an acute shortage of fodder.
“Winter has not fully set in but we are already experiencing a shortage of fodder. There are no supplies for the winter”, – a resident of the province said.
For many years almost all plots of land have been allocated for cotton and wheat. It would be more profitable for tenants to grow forage crops not, only for their own needs but also for sale. However, the executives of agricultural associations do not agree.
The past two years have been dry and there is not enough natural grazing for the cattle.
The shortage of fodder results in the death of сattle as well as sheep and camels. As a result, livestock are dying in the agricultural association of Enish in Serkhetabad etrap (formerly, Kushka).
All agricultural associations have to report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection, which is responsible for the preparation and supply of fodder. For instance, it oversees the distribution of press cake which is a by-product of the vegetable oil production. However, the executives of oil processing plants prefer to sell it to individuals.
Farmers are also having a hard time.If a farmer has 10 to 15 сattle and a hundred ruminants, he spends 700-800 manats a month on additional fodder ($2-2,3 thousand using the official rate, or $291-333 at the “black market” rate).
Cattle breeders expect the price for fodder to increase by the end of winter and they will have to increase meat prices at the markets.
The cattle, which are slaughtered, is very thin and the meat is sold at state-run shops.
For instance, cheap meat is sold at 35 manats at the Ashgabat market of “Azatlyk”. After camel meat, which, as was previously reported, was sold camouflaged as beef, lamb is now available for the same price, correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report.
In addition to lamb, the same amount of camel by-products (liver or lungs) must be purchased in a set. Camel meat is not in demand because of its taste and it remains tough even when cooked for a long time. There are few people in the meat queues.
On 4 November, 2021, before camel meat was delivered to stores, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov instructed government officials to provide residents with affordable groceries in the run-up to the celebrations of the Day of Neutrality and the New Year’s holiday.The post Cattle are dying in Mary velayat due to fodder shortage first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.