YAKUTSK, January 26. /TASS/. New businesses to breed the Arctic’s native animals, including Yakut and Karelian horses, musk oxen, will offer jobs and will attract people to living in the Arctic, Alexander Vorotnikov, an expert of the Project Office for the Arctic’s Development (PORA), told TASS.
"The farms to breed native species could be organized in nature reserves," he said. This is a way to enjoy the advantages of the Arctic Hectare Program." Such businesses will favor the bio diversity and will diversify the Arctic Zone’s economy, the scientist added.
Under the Arctic Hectare Program, within first six months only the locals will be able to receive land plots in the Arctic. And later on, any Russian citizen or Russians, willing to move into the country from abroad, will have the right to participate in the program.
Native Arctic horses
Unique Arctic horses are adapted to the severe climate. Livestock of many breeds, which used to be famous and popular, has reduced, leader of the Forest Horses of Karelia project Yulia Andreyeva said, mentioning the Vyatka, Voronezh, Kuznetsk, Narym, Priobskaya, Tavdinskaya, Tuva, Khakass breeds. "Two local breeds - Karelia and Onega - are not exceptions. Their historic areal was in the modern Leningrade and Arkhangelsk Regions and in Karelia. They both are of the northern forest type and the breeds have been developed by ‘amateur selection’ in the extreme bio-climate conditions," she said.
Scientists note the animals’ excellent adaptability to working and living in the northern and Arctic climate. The expert believes that the objective to restore the population would require first of all a zoological and technical survey of the horse population from the shores of the White Sea to the shores of the Gulf of Finland to identify the horses, which most fully comply with the Onega and Karelia types. "This way, we could create a gene-pool farm to study, keep and breed the Onega and Karelia horses, to develop a program for preserving the gene pool, for breeding and selection, for state support in reproduction at the gene-pool farms," she told TASS.
The situation in Yakutia is different. There, the native, Yakutia, breed’s livestock has increased over the recent decade. "We did not have a major state support. Farmers saw it was a promising direction. In 1936, the livestock was about 200,000. We have been improving technologies of horse herding. Nowadays, a herder follows the animals year-round, even when the frosts are minus 60 degrees. Our task is to use digital methods, for example, to trace the animals, like it is done in deer breeding. They use GPS trackers there," Alexander Kugayevsky, Deputy President of the Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University and a member of the Arctic Zone’s public council, said.
Musk Ox in Russia
Coordinator of the Musk Ox in Russia project Igor Mishukov points to big opportunities in re-introduction of musk oxen in the Russian Arctic. Europe and the U.S. have been working on domestication and organization of farms for about 50 years. "With the growing livestock, the species may become of agricultural use: their meat, skin and under wool are of high value, like are northern deer products," he said.
The settlement of musk oxen in the Russian Arctic regions will favor economic, social and demographic, ecological and geopolitical aspects.
"Russia has a huge potential to develop the sector. For effective re-acclimatization and domestication of musk oxen in Russia the state, businesses, public and scientific organizations should cooperate, possibly in a form of a fund to develop musk oxen breeding," he added.
Scientists say, about 60-80 animals are optional for one farm, where four people work. "Thus, the livestock of 50,000 animals would require about 700-750 farms, which will offer at least 2,800-3,000 permanent jobs. The initial processing will employ about 125-150 thousand women at homes (seasonal part-time jobs). The figure may seem to be rather modest for Russia, but the social importance of the labor market’s segment could be very high, as thus additional income will be available for socially vulnerable people, first of all mothers with many children and single mothers," the expert said.
Arctic Hectare Program
Under the program, applicants may receive for free a land plot of up to 1 hectare for the term of five years, and later on it could be formalized as property or long-term rent. The land could be used for building a house or for doing any business, including gardening or services, including tourism services.
The earlier Far Eastern Hectare program will be applicable for the Arctic from summer, 2021. On July 13, 2020, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a few federal laws on incentives in the Arctic. The Russian Arctic Zone becomes the biggest economic zone in Russia and in the world - almost 5 million square kilometers.