Herders Still Waiting for Promised Money by Two Parties to Postpone Their Movement

(Translated by D.Ariungerel)

The winter already came in the Bayangol and Taragt soum of Ovorkhangai aimag by middle of autumn. I’ve met with vice governor, Enkhbayar to ask about herders’ winter place.  She said, that you couldn’t meet with the herders, most of them moved to other places, followed grassland, very few herders who have less amount of livestock stayed in the their grazing area. Because our rangeland is degraded, most of the herders have moved at least 100 km, or even further than 200-300 km from their original winter places. On the way, no grass is observed on the ground, only shrubs stayed without leaves and branches. I think that winter would be harded.

The Bayangol soum is bordered with desert steppe, 80% of its rangeland is degraded. This soum herders can’t celebrate “Tsagaan sar” (one of our national holiday) in the other part of Mongolia. The herders have grown their livestock without rangeland management, because they lacks the knowledge of rangeland management. This soum rangeland is degraded by overloaded livestock and overgrazing.

Last few years, livestock price increased so the herders like to grow their livestock under uncontrolled system, that they think if they have a lots of livestock population they can produce money.

Many winter place stayed in the narrow valley with shrubs, which is streched from north to south that showed us what the herders are facing.  “Zudh” (snow diaster) covered whole valley. We visited one family who may have look for all winter places and stayed alone in this area.  I talked with this household. He said calmly that “This family has 150 of sheeps, goats, one horse and no milking cows. He takes care livestock using a motorbike. Household says that long leg livestock could not be stayed in this area and only short leg livestock eat leaves and branches of the Cargana (shrubs). Soon we will move. Not yet decided to where to move, but we are waiting for promised money by two big parties before snow which would be thucked and harded. If we move, we need money. Promised money need to be distributed as soon as possible, since we need the money to loan money from bank”.

In countryside, people are still waiting for promised money by two parties. Pralaiment Members seem like that they don’t know that the herders plan their activities accounting based on promised money, which would be a block to arrange their livelihood. Otherwise, they know this situation but they are really too busy for planning next plan for coming election.

A good timing would let herders, who had made wrong choices in election dependent on less imformation. One project is implementing in this soum under the ADB fundation. I asked how to support your livelihood improvement by this project? Hmm hmm  we don’t know someone came and said something. Not rememdered. What they said?  Such as herder would be not compared with whom and what , no choise. Promiser made them  such as inactive herders.  Promiser can promise whole community and for only individuals’s ear as well.
Sir/ madam Pralaiment Member, the people are waiting for your promise, cash and other donations.  Particularly, the herders are still waiting for your promise to be kill their livestock by disaster.

Already winter is going to be hard,  the herder are still waiting for your promised money. The herders could not move becuase they do not have cash. If you distrubute money to them, they can do loan it from the bank but if not,  the herders are still staying in the overgrazed area with their livestock. The PM seems like already to forget what they said and promised for whom. And PM are thinking about how to distribute money which raise out from mining companies.

The herders’ brains had been washed out by PM’s promised money and beautiful words. The herders believe in promised money absolutely.

My advice to the herders: you don’t believe others’ help particularly promised money, you believe only yourself.