In a conversation with a Turmush correspondent, Baryktabas shared that he was born in 1974 in his native village of Kara-Suu. He graduated from school in 1991 and was drafted into military service in 1992. His army service took place in a peacekeeping battalion on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Upon returning home, he faced the hardships of the early years of independence when the USSR collapsed. “My father, Ibraim, was engaged in yak breeding when we were children. Later, he worked on a collective farm and kept yaks until the collapse of the USSR. I helped my father for a year or two, and in 1998, I got married. Since then, we started herding cattle more often in the high-altitude pastures. We began collecting yaks from local residents who received them after the collapse of the collective farm and grazing them in herds on the жайлоо. My father always noted the advantages of yak husbandry: these animals tolerate cold well and do not require special care. Therefore, our high-altitude At-Bashinsky district is ideal for their breeding,” he recounts.
According to Baryktabas, yak meat is healthy, contains no cholesterol, and is rich in vitamins and iron. “I have been breeding yaks for 27 years. We also have horses and small cattle. In season, we sell kumys. In my free time, I love to hunt. We organize district shooting competitions to develop hunting culture among the youth. In the future, we dream of exporting yak meat, but for now, we satisfy domestic demand,” he adds.
Baryktabas has four children: one son and three daughters.
The weight of male yaks can reach 300 kilograms, while females weigh about 200 kilograms. Strong individuals can carry loads weighing up to 120 kilograms and cover distances of 60-70 km in one night.
