Portraits
Farming families
Meet some of the farmers who supply the raw cashmere for our yarns
Nazarabek Kairakbaev
Sary Mogul, Chong Alay, Osh (southern Kyrgyzstan)
«Our family has kept livestock for as long as anyone can remember. We used to move across the land as nomads. By now we have settled. My father received our farm when Kyrgyzstan became independent in 1991.»
Mountain range: Pamir
Altitude: 2850 m above sea level
Family size: 13
Own land / common land: 0.5 ha / 52 ha
Herd size: 150 yaks, 15 goats, 900 sheep
Fibre production: 3 kg raw cashmere, 120 kg raw yak fibre
Rakiya Akymzhanova
Sopu Korgon, Alay, Osh (southern Kyrgyzstan)
«The milk, wool, meat and leather of the goats feed our families. It is in our own interest that the pastures survive. We have to treat them with care, so that keeping goats here remains possible for our descendants too.»
Mountain range: Pamir
Altitude: 1640 m above sea level
Family size: 4
Own land / common land: 0.2 ha / 28 ha
Herd size: 65 goats
Fibre production: 13 kg raw cashmere
Myrza Asanbaev
Kara Kuzhur, Kochkor, Naryn (northern Kyrgyzstan)
«We have had our farm in Kara Kuzhur for 15 years. We want to keep our yaks and goats as close to nature as possible, so we rely above all on breeds that are native here and adapted to the harsh climate.»
Mountain range: Tien Shan
Altitude: 2760 m above sea level
Family size: 7
Own land / common land: 0.4 ha / 105 ha
Herd size: 400 yaks, 100 goats, 35 sheep
Fibre production: 20 kg raw cashmere, 320 kg raw yak fibre