NEWS FROM KHOVD

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, /MONTSAME/ Livestock have been growing in the latest years, but its raw materials' prices are reducing in the aimag which negatively influences herders' life. "It is because of absence of manufacturing industry, due to which the raw materials are so cheap," say the herders.
In fact, a construction of such a factory is possible, but the problems of its refinery and cleaning are rather hard. Nonetheless, the aimag's authority studied all conditions and has decided to draw up and finance the construction of purification plant by this year.

** ** **

Khovd aimag intends to work out a master plan to improve the pasture management for animal husbandry and usage of pasture. In connection with it, a discussion has run among herders on tackling problems in haymaking and way of avoiding such problems. The herders said that they did not learn the method of sufficiently using hay-field, and the pasture area is not good as well. The herders mentioned in the discussion that the majority of them want to develop planted pasture, to rehabilitate desertification areas, and to protect hay-fields.

** ** **

A working group has been set up to conduct an opinion poll and discussion on refining upon pasture management in accordance with an initiative of the aimag's governor. The working group has received opinions from some 1,000 people such as herders, specialists for animal husbandry, and authorities of soums. The most of them proposed to protect lakes, rivers, to irrigate pasture areas under schedules, to sow plants, to correctly organize haymaking and to develop animal husbandry which is suitable for pasture capability. They also requested to use overhead irrigation for pasture with seasonal pattern and to create a law on pasture, and they do not want a privatization of pasture because it is required state participation in pasture matter and. According to a study, the pasture capability in Khovd aimag is suitable for 37 heads of sheep at 100 hectares area. But, heads of sheep increasing by 128 heads or 45% per 100 hectares hay-field and carrying capacity of the pastures was exceeded by 50 percent.

** ** **

In frames of the international year of diversity of biology' announced by the United Nations (UN), many countries are carrying out works of protecting the biological diversity and spreading its significance.
Some works are being done to implement a project on protection of the biological diversity in the mountainous area of Altai Soyon with participation of local people. A request has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to extend duration of the ban on hunting argali (wild mountain sheep of Asia) for two years.

** ** **

Hot weather is staying in the most territory of Khovd aimag. Air temperature has reached plus from 31 to 32 C at the daytime, and the temperature on the soil reached +42 +43. According to the aimag's Service of Meteorology, the hot weather will last for several days. Due to lack of rain, grass and flowers dried, and some streams has dried up.
J. Bolortamir