In September, an on-going series of herder training began in the joint SFA x ICCAW Code of Practice in Cashmere Goat Welfare. The training began in Erdos City and the Yingen Sumu area of Inner Mongolia and was followed by interviews and the inspection of farms of the Ordos Cashmere Group, which were individually assessed on their animal welfare standards.
In the training, Mr Ayoshi Yongxi, the president of ICCAW, explains the basic principles of animal welfare and emphasises the importance of animal welfare of cashmere goats to the international market. The training sessions are delivered by researchers and professors from the Inner Mongolia Agricultural University.
The topics covered include:
- The animal welfare of goats in terms of feeding, drinking water, pen environment, breeding management, and cashmere harvesting from the perspective of the five basic principles of animal welfare.
- Cashmere Goat Disease Prevention and Health Management
- Cashmere Goat Welfare Breeding and Cashmere Quality Improvement
- Cashmere Goat Nutrition