Economic Use of Camels in Kazakhstan - Past, Present and Future Perspectives - Sabir T
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Ἃ₍◊✲沙漠研究 2626-4,-4, 199-203199 - 203 (2017) (2016) Journal of Arid Land Studies － Special Reports － Journalhttp://dx.doi.org/10.14976/jals.26.4_199 of Arid Land Studies 㸫Special Reports“Camel㸫 Husbandry in Central Asia” http://dx.doi.org/10.14976/jals.26.4_199 Annual Symposium of the Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies Economic Use of Camels in Kazakhstan - Past, Present and Future Perspectives - Sabir T. NURTAZI*1), Margulan K. IKLASOV1), Kaoru IMAMURA2) Abstract: For thousands of years, the camels were the main working pack animals in the nomadic pastoralist economy of Kazakh ancestors. Later in the 19-20th centuries, with the expansion of the network of dirt roads, camels were successfully used as draft animals, which caused spread of these animals beyond their natural habitat to the southern provinces of Russia. The number of camels in Kazakhstan in 1927, in the Soviet period, has reached its maximum 1.69 million. With the development of mechanized transport, the value of camels as draft animals fell, at the same time the demand for camel specific products, such as milk, meat, wool, leather, was limited. Great damage to agriculture was caused by ill-conceived socio-economic reforms in the 1930s, which led to catastrophic camel population decline. Later, the number of camels slightly increased and stabilized, the level of selection and breeding work and the proportion of purebred animals have increased. Ever since Kazakhstan gained independence the total number of camels has been increasing gradually in the area of their natural habitat, which is associated with high profitability of camel breeding in deserts and semi-deserts of the south-western regions of Kazakhstan. Productive camel breeding allows involving these lands and its people in economically profitable production. Improvement of breed and productive qualities of camel is very important in the country. Key Words: Bactrian, breeding, camels, Dromedary, productive animals. is in the transition zone to the subtropics. Most of 1. Introduction Kazakhstan territory is occupied by the vast plains. The inland location of Kazakhstan causes severe continental and Camel breeding emerged in Kazakhstan, probably several arid climate with hot summers and cold winters. The territory centuries BC. Ancient ethnic picture of the territory of of Kazakhstan is located in four natural zones: forest-steppe, Kazakhstan was various. The territory was inhabited by the steppe, semi-desert and desert (Gerasimov, 1969). Based on tribes and people of different origins, who later left their mark the physical and geographical shape of the territory it is clear in the ethno genesis of the modern Kazakhs. The northern that the camel breeding, represented mainly by Bactrians, steppes and desert zones of Central Asia historically had one of could never have such a huge importance in Kazakhstan, the earliest forms of world civilization - nomadic pastoralist compared to countries with territory mostly composed of hot economy (Kuzmina, 1986). A significant achievement of the deserts, like in Africa or Arabian Peninsula. Neolithic in the Central Asian region was the training of a Of the three currently known species of camels only two rideable horse. Bronze Age is represented by the monuments are bred in Kazakhstan: Bactrian and dromedary. Bactrians of Andronov culture, which date from the XII-XVIII centuries are more resistant to cold and occupy subarctic area, while BC, among which bronze figurines of laden camels are dromedaries are more thermophilic and are widespread present. throughout the North Africa, the Middle East and even India. When discussing the role of the camel in the historical past The southern boundary of the dromedary area is approximately of Kazakh ancestors a few words should be said about the 12° N and the most northern point of their habitat is Turkestan, climatic and geographical characteristics of the country. The where they are found along with Bactrians. In Central Asia Republic of Kazakhstan is located in the center of the Eurasian dromedaries are bred in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, continent, its total area is 2,724 ,900 km2, the territory stretches southern and western Kazakhstan. almost 3000 km from the lower reaches of the Volga in the The habitat of Bactrians is located more to the north, from west to the Altai Mountains in the east and 1650 km from the about Balkash district of Almaty region in the south (about 420 West Siberian plain to the mountains of Tien Shan in the south. N) to the northern regions of Kazakhstan (up to 520 N) The northernmost point in Kazakhstan (550 22 N) is almost on (Abdykalikova, 2000). Dromedaries are more adapted to the the same latitude as Moscow, Sakhalin Island, and southern hot climate of African and Asian deserts, while Bactrians are points (400N) - on the same latitude as Madrid, Istanbul and more suited to extreme continental climate of Central Asia with Beijing. Thus, Kazakhstan's territory lies in the central and high summer temperatures and freezing winters. southern latitudes of the temperate zone, and the extreme south Both types of camels are perfectly adapted to the extreme * Corresponding Author: [email protected] 㸦Received, December 28th, 2016; Accepted, January 5th, 2017㸧 050038, Almaty Av. Al-Farabi71, Almaty, Kazakhstan Tel: +7-747-665-6506 1) Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan 2) Nagoya Gakuin University Japan 200 environments of their habitats, require very minimal care, graze on natural unproductive pastures and use food resources that other animals can not use. Due to the large area of the pad, camels compared to other farm animals cause less damage to the top layer of soil, and don’t trample plants. This has caused camel breeding to become very important for Kazakh ancestors in the past and still has potential in future. 2. Results and discussion 2.1. Camels in traditional time Camels played an important role in the life of nomads in Fig. 1. Loaded camels. different ways: as working animals (pack, harness, riding), and as a source of milk, meat, wool and leather. In the areas of camel breeding, camels were able to replace horses, cows and sheep. Initially, the camel breeding was a natural-consumer industry of nomadic pastoralist economy. Everything produced by camels was almost entirely used by nomads. At the same time, camels were primarily valued as working animals. The smallest village, consisting of relatives, had at least 5-10 working camels, which were used to transport entire household goods and even portable yurt (dwelling of nomads) Fig. 2. Loaded camels. (Figs.1 and 2). Later, with the development of trade and oxen (7%) and horses (4-5%). Back in 1930 in the commodity-money relations, nomadic economy form began to South-West regions of Kazakhstan camel was considered get involved in the world economy, initially in the form of primarily as a work animal (Ivanov, 1934). servicing hundreds of thousands of pack camels and drovers of Due to the benefit of using camels as draft animals, the caravan routes. There are government decrees on serving the demand for them in the late 19th and early 20th century in the trade routes of ancient peoples of North Africa, Asia Minor, South-western provinces of the Russian Empire, including Persia, China, Afghanistan, Turkistan, Babylon, and Rome. Kazakhstan, has grown significantly and the number of The value of the camels as pack and riding animals in this livestock in 1912 reached 1.11 million, and by 1927 the period reached its peak. number exceeded 1.69 million. In the 19-20th centuries, camels were widely used as a At the same time, camels were always a good source of draft and, to a lesser extent, as pack animals. After the joining meat, milk, wool and skin. Camels are one of the largest farm of Kazakhstan to the Russian Empire camels have been used in animals. The weight of large male Bactrians and dromedaries the Orenburg, Stavropol, Astrakhan, Samara, Ufa, Kharkiv, reaches 900-1000 kg (elite male Bactrians can weight up to Poltava and Samara provinces, and in the corresponding area 1250 kg, while Bactrian and dromedary hybrid - Nar can of the Soviet Union as a cartage and on various agricultural weight up to 1350kg). Meat efficiency of 30-month old calf activities. reach 200-250 kg (adult animals up to 350-400 kg), which is more than 50% of weight. Specially fattened animals can 2.2. Economic value of camels in the 19-20th centuries produce 60% of weight. The young camels’ meat During this period effective use of camels for transportation (recommended age for camels is 3 years) tastes like beef, but purposes caused spread of these animals beyond their natural the consumption is limited to some regions of Kazakhstan in habitat. At the end of the 19th century, studies had shown low amounts. that camels are 1.5 times more efficient in harnessing than Camel shearing for high value wool, depends on the horses and two times more efficient than oxen. At the same species, age and sex of camels and ranges from 5.0 to 6.0 kg, time, according to Veterinary Department, the annual mortality while in exceptional cases can reach 21 kg. Milk yield of rate among the population of camels was 3.5% in the Kharkov female Bactrians over 12 months of lactation on average can province, which was lower than that of other working animals: reach 700-750 liters, with an average dry matter content of 201 14.5-15% (average fat = 5.6-6.0%). Dromedaries can produce 1800-1900L of milk, with 13.0-14.0% dry matter content (average fat 4.5-5.0%), and the arvana breed can produce about 3000L (Lakoza and Shchekin, 1964; Seitov, 2005). Fermented camel products such as shubat are highly valued as a food and as a natural stimulant of body defenses.