LEADING HERDERS WHO EFFECTIVELY RAISED THREE COWS AND ONE HORSE

Citizens of the 8th bag of Ulaangom soum, the province of Uvs, "State Champion Farmer of 2019" Altangerel L., wife Javzandulam Sh.

The magazine "Mongolian Women" sends journalists to every province of Mongolia and publishes in the corner "At the Herder's Camp" about the herders who preserve the development and history of the nation, valuable customs for several centuries.

This time we worked in the Uvs province overlapping with the assignment of the President of the Mongolian Women's Federation. With the help of Mrs. Enkhtuya D., Chairman of the Mongolian Women's Federation Branch in the province of Uvs we headed to the camp of the "State Champion Farmer of 2019" Mr.Altangerel T., who was settled in the area "Usan Togtoolgo".

It says that "The camp of hardworking people looks different from others". We were met by the clean and big herder's camp. Wife's name of the State champion farmer  is Javzandulam Sh. According to the Mongolian tradition, she laid the table and asked about the city news. When the hostess was cooking dishes, I went to their camp, took pictures of newborn calves, stallions and talked with a shepherd assistant.

During the socialist period, the province of Uvs had a "White Cow farm" with many herdsmen and milkmaids. Our guests talked about how their parents were working at the farm, and that later they became the basis of farming.

In this building, there are hundreds of cows in the Simmental breeds. "The owners of the household have said that the bulls are being taken from the southern provinces to prevent the blood coming together.  In winter the family of Mr. Altangerel lives in the area "Usan Togtoolgo" and in summer they move on to the area "Harziin gatlaga" on the back of the Red mountains.

Our guests have over 300 heads of livestock, 100 of them are sheeps, and a few horses.

The housewife told: "As of April 12, 2019, 22 cows were milked and 95-100 liters of milk were distributed to the center of Ulaangom. "We feed our cows until June, when it turns green. Before the weather gets better, we feed and milk the cows. Only in the summer we feed cows in the pasture. From November to early summer we always feed them".

When I came in back after walking around the head of the family was sitting and talking with guests. And I asked the housewife who was busy with cooking to talk alone. And we started our conversation.

I asked Mrs. Javzandulam about the history of the family. She told me: "We became a family in 1993, and our first child was born in 1994. My parents and parents of my husband lived there. My husband worked in the "White Cow Farm" . When I graduated from Grade 8, I took the right to go to school, but I decided stay with my husband and became a milkmaid. At that time, the union was losing everything and everything was not in order. When we started a family we had 2-3 cows and one horse. That time I had no imagination that we will have such a big farm. The parents of my husband died and he was left alone with his young brother. Today we have three sons, we studied all of them  the university and our life is improving".

Also she said: "The specialty of farmer is to prepare hay for good and to feed herds on livestock and to get benefit from them. In winter, we always feed livestock. Our cows are very luxurious. By feeding them with the quality hay we receive a milk. On average, one cow gives 10-12 liters of milk per day".

The family of Altangerel is responsible for the providing milk to the citizens of Ulaangom city. Every year his family supply milk and yoghurt to the General hospital, kindergarten. school, big supermarkets, markets. For example, this year they made a contract to supply 4000 liters of milk to the hospital. The meat and milk products of the year are analyzed in Agricultural Laboratory and the results are attached to the tender materials. They said that after going through several stages, they only get the right to supply milk.

Our guests's farm is located in the 11 km from the city of Ulaangom, Uvs province. It is located near to the city, thus it helps to supply milk and diary products. As the housewife said, they feed livestock in the winter, thus they can get milk whole year. In winter it reaches -40 ° C. Therefore, it is important to keep our winter preparation in the fall, and if we can do it, we will easily survive the harsh winter. Our cows eat 4-5 bags of feed a day. Nowadays, three bags are being eaten. When we came for a guest children were absent. The elder son graduated the University of Agriculture last year my the major "Veterinary". The second son is studying in the Mongolian National University of Education by the major "Translator of Korean and English", and third son is studying in the University "Ikh Zasag".

We asked Mrs. Javzandulam, it seems that farm is for hardworking people and how her husband helps? She answered: "My husband is hardworking. Sometimes he helps me to milk cows. We do not use mechanical equipment for milking cows. We spent one and half hour for milking cows. Then we feed cows. Nowadays the day becomes longer then we feed them only in the morning. Evening's work starts at 16 o'clock and lasts till 19. Sometimes I used to regret that i have no specialty, married just to milk cows. And now I feel that person can achieve the success if he will work hard". After talking with the housewife I started to talk with the Head of the family.

Mr. Altangerel was awarded as the State Champion Farmer of 2019. Thus I asked him about the features of farm.

He said that he has been herd for 27 years. We produce hay from 10 to 17 hectares. Purchase from abroad for a low-yielding year. Also use 15-20 tonnes of bran. One tonne bran is 400 thousand MNT, while one car costs 400-500 thousand MNT. Pastoral animals get bred in summer, but their cows do not give a birth at the same time. Because they regulate the insemination, and cows give birth to calves from August to December.

When I asked what job he can do better, what is his hobby he said: "I did not study from others. I try to study everything by myself. There are many things at home which I made by myself. Two years ago, our fence with 30 tonnes of hay was burned. I bought the grass in the winter. I imagine myself what form, the structure it will have and begin to build it myself. Well I dig myself too. In general, provincial life is a life that cannot be relied upon. Our region is mostly deserted. Therefore, there are problems with water. We provide cattle with water from the well. We irrigate the field for haymaking with the waters of the Teel River when the glacier melts.

In our region there are 10 more families that are engaged in farming. When we all get down to work with shovels, we work no worse than any equipment," - says the owner. They irrigate the hay field on June 20 at first, then in mid-July and in August.

10 families that he mentioned, took an example from Mr. Altangerel and began to live closer to them and gain experience from them. Today, these families supply the city Ulaangom with fresh milk. I asked the guest: "Do you have herders helpers?" He replied: "There is one boy. Every time we took him to his parents and to school, but he secretly always came to us. And he grew up with us. After military service, we built him a new yurt and he got married". I asked who chose a wife for him. And he replies that her wife, and laughs. They also gave that guy 30 livestock of small ruminants, 15 livestock of cattle, one mare and one horse. And this guy's family lives next to Altangerel. And then I said: “You chose a wife for someone else’s child, and he lives next to you. Now you probably need to marry your son. Or maybe your goal to teach him at the University of Agriculture and transfer the farm will not come true?”. The owner of the family replies: "If he settles down here in his specialty, he will probably take care of the farm".

Not every person is given a life mind. Only one who works hard achieves success and fame. When I talked with them, from the view of wife, telling me that his husband helps her to milk a cow, I felt and was proud of their mind and work, which built a happy life today. They started a family with three cows and one horse. And now they have a lot of cattle. "We were poor. But we did not despise others. We tried and worked to raise livestock. To grow ten out of 5 cows, 80 out of eight sheeps. We worked hard every day, mainly selling milk and dairy products", - said husband. And the wife with tears in her eyes said: "When we got married, I thought that we had no professions and knowledge, how would we live. But the most important thing in life is to find your soul mate. In this world we worked together from dawn to sunset, we built this life together, raised our children. This is probably our great merit". From her words I felt how proud she is and admires her husband.

Her husband, Altangerel, at the age of 16 entered the cooperative farm and received the responsibility to graze 200 livestock of two-year-old cows. In 1992, her future wife arrived by the Revsomol dispatch. And since that time they live and work together.

Thus, the guy who began his cattle breeding career at the age of 16, two years later was leading among others with his work, and they wrote about him in the newspaper "Truth". “In socialist time, everything had its own order. But our cooperative economy collapsed one day. And they took livestock from us and explained that the state takes back their property. Then it was very difficult for us,” - the family owner recalls. After our conversation, he took a deep breath and said: "Do you have any questions left? Now help yourself, the food will cool". When we left the guests the spring was in the yard, a gentle breeze was blowing.

Journalist, Editor Shurentsetseg Yura

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