Archive for October, 2020

Herder training in Inner Mongolia begins!

Posted by Katy Edwards


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: 

Herders Receive Business Development Training

Posted by Katy Edwards

As part of the SFA’s Covid-19 Action Plan, a two-day Business Development Training for Herding Organisations has been held this week in Ulaanbaatar. The aim was to develop business management capacity for herder organisations and cooperatives to trade in raw materials and to increase governance at community organisational level.

A key focus of the SFA’s Covid-19 Action Plan is to reduce the economic vulnerability of herders through increasing economic literacy and their business development training.

The training was well attended with 50 participants, including 39 Herding Organisations Leaders from 35 soums across 10 provinces.

The training was delivered by speakers from the SFA, the Export Development Programme, the Employment Promotion Project and Mandakh Universities and topics included:

Proposal for an ‘International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists’

Posted by Katy Edwards

Grasslands are fundamental to the cashmere supply chain and the Mongolian government is proposing an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Here’s a short film about pastoralists around the world and their importance. Or visit https://iyrp.info/ to find out more about the initiative.