Nupu Sherpa, Taplejung president of Yak-Chauri Farmers' Federation, owns a herd of 80 yaks and 10 chauris. Chauris are primarily used for carrying loads while yaks are reared for sale. When the animals are released from the barn into the open pastures, it is a sight to behold. Nupu finds joy in his work but faces immense hardships to continue his ancestral occupation. Despite his efforts, he has not been able to generate any income from yak farming for the past four years.

"Every year, about 25 to 30 calves are born, but 15 to 20 die due to diseases, wild animal attacks, or old age. It feels like I'm working to count life and death rather than generating any inc said Nupu. His original plan was to sell older yaks and reinvest in raising younger ones. However, many animals perish before they can be sold. "Losing them to natural causes is one thing but the worst part is they grow old and die because I can’t sell them in time,” he lamented.

By the time yaks reach 15 or 16 years of age, they become weak, struggle to graze, and often fall prey to wild animals.

Nupu, aged 24, was born and raised in Papung, a village in ward 5 of Mikwakhola Rural Municipality. He moves his herd between different locations depending on the season. From March-April to September-October, he takes his yaks to the Chinese border and from October-November to February-March, he migrates to pastures in Sankhuwasabha and Tehrathum as well. He has to endure snow, rains and landslides to take his herd from one place to another and has to spend a good amount of money to manage them.

Naike Chungdak Sherpa, Nupu’s neighbor, has even greater difficulties. He owned around 250 yaks and chauris last year but he lost 67 to lumpy skin disease. With the Chinese market still closed, Naike is anxiously waiting for trade to resume. "Once the border opens, I will sell my entire herd and leave this business for good," he shared his plan with frustration.

Before the covid pandemic, yak and chauri trade flourished in Nepal’s eastern districts of Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Tehrathum, Sankhuwasabha and Solukhumbu. Farmers raised these animals in high-altitude pastures and sold them to buyers in Tibet and Sikkim, India. However, the pandemic disrupted this trade and while borders have reopened for people and goods, livestock export has yet to be reopened.

The yak and chauri farmers like Nupu and Naike are hardest hit as they are unable to sell their livestock. Nupu, by selling his 90 yaks and chauris, could fetch Rs9 million if sold in Tibet. "The current market rate in Tibet is between Rs800,000 and Rs 1.2 million per yak in Tibetan markets,” said Nupu.

Yak and chauri farming involves two primary breeds. Chauris are relatively docile and easier to train, making them suitable for carrying loads. They thrive at altitudes below 3,500 meters. Yaks, on the other hand, are more aggressive and require higher elevations to flourish.

These animals provide milk, which is processed into yogurt, butter and cheese. However, due to limited local markets, most dairy products are turned into ghee or chhurpi (hardened cheese) for sale. "We sell ghee and chhurpi to cover the costs of salt, fodder and pastureland. It barely covers expenses, leaving no room for profit,” said Nupu.

A chauri can produce up to four liters of milk per day, while a yak yields about three liters. However, the milk yield is relatively low. Naike estimates that it takes the milk of 12 to 13 yaks or chauris to produce just one kilogram of ghee which sells for Rs 1,000. Churpi must be sent to district headquarters for sale and farmers often have to wait five to six months for payment.

According to the Taplejung Livestock Service Office, there are approximately 8,500 yaks and chauris in the district, with around 3,500 in Mikwakhola Rural Municipality alone. And around 2,500 are in Faktanglung Rural Municipality. If the Chinese market reopens, according to Nupu, at least 5,000 yaks and chauris are ready for immediate sale. Tibetans are particularly interested in high-quality breeds for milk and meat production, often paying up to Rs150,000 per animal.

Before the pandemic, Nepali farmers regularly exported yaks and chauris to Tibet. Nupu remembered selling his 20 yaks in Dinggye County of Tibet and earning around Rs1.8 million soon before the covid pandemic. Rs90,000 per animal. A group of six farmers, including Nupu, collectively made Rs 5 million from the sales then.

The Yak-Chauri Farmers' Federation reports that 180 families in Taplejung depend entirely on this trade while over 300 families rear five to nine yaks and chauris each. They have been hardest hit by the closure of the Chinese market for livestock trade.

Although Nepal-China border reopened at several border points including Tipta La in Taplejung and Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha, livestock trade remains restricted. Farmers speculate that China’s concerns about lumpy skin disease may be behind the restrictions, but authorities have not provided a clear reason.

Netra Prasad Sharma, the chief district officer of Taplejung, recently raised this issue during a bilateral meeting with Chinese officials in Dinggye County. "We emphasised the need to resume livestock trade and Chinese representatives acknowledged the issue," Sharma said. "However, they informed us that the decision must come from higher authorities."

Local representatives continue to follow up on the matter, hoping for a resolution soon. Without trade, the farmers see no option but to watch their animals die. "We urge the government to facilitate trade. Without it, farmers have no future,” said Sharma.