The Food We Eat – SUSTAINABLE FARMING FOR FOOD AND HEALTH

The Farming System that Ensures Biodiversity Conservation

July 16, 2018December 5, 2021Dr Raziq Kakar7 Comments

Small scaled family farming plays a multidimensional role, ensuring not only livelihood but play a pivotal role in biodiversity conservation. Such farmers judiciously use the weeds and herbs grown along with the crops and use the crop residues as animal feed. Here are some pictures, I shot in my hometown Borai, Loralai which show us the beauty of this unique farming system. The farmer told me that he never used any pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Orchard grass and the biodiversity — These grasses are rich in nutrients and the best feed for the sheep, goats, and cows.

Location of beautiful orchard or JAR

Borai or Bori commonly known as Loralai is the cradle of orchard farming (locally known as JAR) and breeding area of native livestock, i.e sheep, goat, cattle, donkey, and chicken. The Jar is an ancient tradition of family gardening, fenced with the stalks of native thorny bushes or mud walls to protect from livestock and wildlife. The fence is known as Daragi and we have many villages and towns with the name of Daragi or Dargi. It is believed that the region is one of the ancient hubs of livestock husbandry and arable farming. I have tried to make some screenshots from google earth and show you where it is. The region is situated on the tracks of the strong winds between the sea and mountain. The red arrow indicates the wind tracks.

Orchard or family garden — Family gardening is known as jar locally, a small heaven for the family

Borai on google earth — Family gardening is known as jar locally, a small heaven for the family

Small farming conserve the native flora in the family gardens. Here is a beautiful florescense of wild mint — This weed is locally called Shinshobey in Pashtu. It is a wild mint. This weed is dried/powdered and used as food with yogurt and shlombey etc.

The beauty as well as rich animal feed — This weed is called Perwathke in Pashtu, a very rich feed for the small ruminants.

Chicken is the integral part of this farming — The chicken thrives on the insects in the orchard and provides a rich source of protein.

Chilles and Ocra vegetables - family gradening/orchard is a source of organic vegetables, fruits, and otehr food items for family use

Vegetables are grown at the orchard, providing rich and safe food for the family.

Chicory - a herbal shrub, also a beauty for the landscape — The beautiful but rich herbal plant – Chicory

Apricot tree, the small piece of land is richer with different types of trees

Frog breeding is ensured here — The small canal provides a niche for frog breeding. One can see the eggs of the frogs.

More plant and animals diversity is placed on a smaller piece of land with the highest productivity and the whole family depends on this farm in one or another way.

The trees and fodder for livestock Alfalfa

Cow dung is a biofertilizer — The cow dung is dried and used as fuel. The remaining material (powdered) is used as farmyard manure

IMG_8366[1].JPG — Borai is home to delicious Anar (Pomegranate)

Prunus tree with healthy and tasty fruits. Locally, this fruit is called as Aloo. — Damson fruit, locally called Aloo. The dried fruit is a source of spices with sheep meat.

Author of the manuscript with a plum tree — We can find many different types of trees, plants, vegetables, and weeds on a smaller piece of land

Read in detail about my philosophy regarding small-scaled farming and its role in food security and biodiversity conservation. https://arkbiodiv.com/2011/10/12/113/

The Camel Milk Story from the Gobi Desert Mongolia

June 21, 2018June 21, 2018Dr Raziq Kakar13 Comments

The story is hereby released at the eve of the World Camel Day 2018.

The author was invited by the newly established Mongolian Camel Milk Company. The group owns their camels in the desert as their half families live there with the precious livestock in the amazing Gobi.

I started traveling from Dubai airport (2 am, 20^th April) and reached Ulaanbaatar on the 21^st morning 7 am (Cengiz Khaan International Airport) via Moscow by Aeroflot. The 12 hours stay in Moscow Sheremetyevo airport was an excellent experience of life as I slept in a small cabin available on rent, the first time in my life.

Sanaa and Enkhie (the trip organizers) received me at the airport and took me to the hotel (Khuvsgul Lake). Today, the program was composed of some meetings in the UB city with camel scientists/researcher, businessmen and visiting Changiz Khan Museum.

Travel to South Gobi Desert

Next day, we traveled for more than 10 hours by road and reached South Gobi region. We traveled another 1:30 hour to reach the nomad Ger (house). The nomad family warmly welcomed us and we stayed overnight there. I slept in the Ger first time.

This time period of the year, the nomads do not milk the camels but to let the calf take it and get stronger. The Bactrian camels have beautiful small teats with a strongly attached compact udder.

Seeing Camels and Interviewing the Herder

Next day, I woke up in the morning and went to the camels. They are still roaming near the Ger with their calves. The calves are tied. I observed the calves and the dams and found them very healthy and stronger.

Types of camel

There are 3 types of Bactrian camels in the region, i.e.

Galba Gobiin Ulaan (Reddish colored camel)
Khaniin Khestiin Khuren (Brown colored camel)
Thukhum MTungologiin kKhos Zogdott Khuren (double line neck hair)

Breeding Season

The breeding season starts in October and reached the peak in December and slowly decline and cease in April. Usually, one Bull is enough for up to 70 she-camels. The details of the production traits are given in the table below.

Table: The Production Traits of the Bactrian camel in the region

Months	Conception Rate (%)	Calving %age	Avg. Milk (kg)
Jan	25	25	0.1
Feb	15	16	0.15
Mar	4	5	0.175
Apr	2	3	0.2
May	2	1	0.3
Jun	1	1	1.2
Jul	1	1	1.8
Aug	1	2	1.6
Sep	3	2	1.5
Oct	5	4	0.5
Nov	16	15	0.17
Dec	25	25	0.1

The table clearly indicates the breeding season, calving percentage, and the milk production. The Camel Milk is lower in quantity, producing from 1-3 liter/day but the milk is thick and full of energy to give special strength to the calf to survive in challenging environment. The average milk production based on my survey is 640 ml/day with lactation yield 233 kg. The lactation here calculated on the annual basis but in actual, the camel produces for up to 8 months.

Camel Milk Products

The nomads use camel milk as fresh directly. The surplus is converted into fermented product (Harmok). The Harmok is used very widely and some products are available in the market in Ulaanbaatar. For further details about Bactrian milk, you can go to the link Detailed Nutritional Composition of Bactrian Camel’s Milk

The surplus Harmok is converted into CM Vodka and the residues are used to make Curt. The curt and Vodka is offered to the guests as a unique product of the Gobi.

The Attachment of Nomads with camel

The nomads love their camel very much. They call it Temeh in the Mongolian language. They use camel for riding, racing, festivals, wool, and also for meat (in rare cases).

The Camel Milk Story “Theme of the World Camel Day 2018”

May 15, 2018September 11, 2018Dr Raziq Kakar6 Comments

Dear friends and colleagues,

Greetings from the camels’ world.

We, the camel activists celebrate world camel day since last few years. Different groups of the people celebrate this day it in the different parts of the world in different ways. The idea behind celebrating world camel day is to aware the public and the policymakers regarding the important role of a camel in the food security under climate change scenario. World Camel Day (June 22)

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Themes of Different Years

In 2016, the theme was “CAMEL FOR LIFE”
2017, the theme was “Camel Journey from its original habitat to the modern world
2018, the theme is “The camel milk story”

Anyone from any part of the world, who is interested to share his/er story can send it to my email, which will be shared via camel4all.com website with the name of the storyteller.

It is a great opportunity for the camel milk producing companies to share their stories (history and products etc) with the world.

Let’s celebrate this year world camel day as the awareness day for the precious milk of the camel.

Some link from the previous world camel days

Hope to hear from your side.

Beautiful Barela camel — A young camel herder with a Barela camel

This was an email, I sent to the camel people.

The Ultimate Choice or an Old Song with the New Drum?

January 16, 2018July 19, 2020Dr Raziq Kakar4 Comments

I hereby to start a discussion about the selection of genetic resource for livelihood in the difficult ecosystems of the world. In my view, a true and durable sustainability of food production can be achieved with the tool of the local/native genetic resources embodied with the traditional knowledge.

The Kharani camel in the Kharan desert — The best milk yielder in the deserted ecosystems

*Sustainability in true sense means ‘considering the hidden costs like water & carbon footprint along with the other environmental factors.

Based on my experience and lifetime achievement, the native/local genetic resources are the only choice to ensure livelihood in a true sense of sustainability RESILIENCE OF NATIVE LIVESTOCK BREEDS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

In the far and wide drylands of the world, local/native genetic resources are playing a pivotal role in sustaining livelihood in the difficult environments since unknown time. To me, the camel is one of the best choices among the best genetic resources.

Originally domesticated for food production, especially milk, the camel was later used for other purposes and the milk became the secondary product.

Good news, that camel is again turning towards its original task, the milk. Camel is no more the animal of the old world, but an animal which may be used to combat the growing desertification and to feed millions of people living in those regions. It has been shown that camels can provide 15-20 liters of milk per day for a lactation period of up to 18 months, making it a very good farm animal.

Based on my personal experience of a camel farm for milk purpose, some camels can produce >12,000 kg milk per lactation (genetic potential) but the majority of population fall in >3,000 kg. The yield is sustainable in the true sense as camel consumes a lesser quantity of water/kg milk production. The same is true for the energy consumption as the camel doesn’t need weather comfort because of its special genes adapted to hostile weathers.

Africa, the Climate Change Hot Spot

Studies conducted in the horn of Africa revealed that the camel produced more milk than the other types of tropical animals compared on the basis of kg/TLU/year. A wide part of the African continent is well familiar with the camel milk, and consider it the fluid of choice in all conditions. Camel Milk and Challenges of Modern Time; The Concept of Natural Health

The Treasure is Uncovered in Another Hot Spot

South Asia, especially dryland (Western India and a major part of Pakistan) are the worst affected by the climate change calamities. The great Thar Desert being the habitat of the world’s best milk camel is an uncovered treasure of the region. Badly neglected and hidden from the consideration of the policymakers. A Beautiful Camel Heritage is Sinking

The Camel Milk in Pakistan~An Example

Pakistan is home to 0.9 million camels with a 20% of lactating camel (herd composition) Livestock production and population census in Pakistan: Determining their relationship with agricultural GDP using econometric analysis. About 0.18 million camels give milk for a lactation (average 2,200 kg/lactation), producing around 396,000 ton of milk annually but had never been considered a documented food item in the grey records of the country. Per head basis camel in the country produces far better than the indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds, Frisian, and their crosses (in true measurement model).

Image result for best brela camel pakistan milk udder

Conclusion

The time has reached to know and exploit the true potential of native genetic resources like camel and to find the ways to sustain livelihood (in the true sense) of the generations to come. I would appreciate a positive and healthy debate to be initiated regarding the food production in a truly sustainable model under the climate change scenario.

Plants that are Liked such as Icecream by the Camels. Part 2

December 21, 2017December 30, 2021Dr Raziq Kakar9 Comments

Camel and goats like the salty and spiny species of plants. Such plants are also called ice cream species for camel and goats. In part 1, we discussed the fodder trees which are very much liked by the camels and goats. Here the bushes species will be briefly discussed along with the pictures.The Ice Cream Species of Plants for the Camel and Goat. Part 1

1. Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Marakh as local Arabic name, Bararra in Pashtu)

It is widespread from Africa, the Arabian peninsula to South Asia. The camel likes it very much because of its taste and flavor. When lush, it has higher contents of CP.

13x — The fiber of the plant is used for the treatment of gout and rheumatism

One picture tells different and multidimensional stories. Markh (Leptadenia) plant playing a multipurpose role, from halting creeping sand, provides shelter to insects, soil conservation to the camel food. The camels browse this Ice cream species of plant.

Marakh is a multipurpose plant, use for different aspects as well as food. I have started a new series of short films on the ice cream species of plants. The link to the video channel about the March plant is given below. Camel Icecream spp Marakh or Boom Bush (Leptadenia pyrotechnica)

22x Broom Bush

25x 24x

The bush is also considered as diuretic both in human and animals. Some camel keepers offer Markh to the male camel when they have urine obstruction problem. We the Pashtun people make chewing gum from this plant.

leptadenia pyrotechnica — A ticket of 50 fils by UAE government to endorse the role of this precious plant in the country

2. Tetraena qatarensis synonym Zygophyllum qatarense, commonly known as Harm or Hadidi

A salt-tolerant plant of the Arabian Peninsula that grows as a rounded, dwarf shrub. In adaptation to retaining water in its saline environment, it has small compact leaves that are rather fleshy and succulent. The camel loves this plant because of 2 main reasons, the i.e. rich source of water and providing abundant salts.

tetraena

The plant is the real ice cream species for camel and goat. The only thing camel need in the hot dry environment of the region are the water and the salts and the plant is rich in these 2 nutrients.

Zygophyllum qatarense is a salt-tolerant plant of the Arabian Peninsula

Pharmacological Action and Toxicity

Diuretic and antipyretic
Anti-histamine activity
Healing constipation
The juice from fresh leaves and stems is used for the treatment of certain skin diseases
For lowering of blood pressure

The Ice Cream Species of Plants for the Camel and Goat. Part 1

Location of beautiful orchard or JAR

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The story is hereby released at the eve of the World Camel Day 2018.

Camel Milk Products

The Attachment of Nomads with camel

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Africa, the Climate Change Hot Spot

The Treasure is Uncovered in Another Hot Spot

The Camel Milk in Pakistan~An Example

Conclusion

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1. Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Marakh as local Arabic name, Bararra in Pashtu)

2. Tetraena qatarensis synonym Zygophyllum qatarense, commonly known as Harm or Hadidi

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