The butter and cheese from yaks are generally bartered for grain from the lower areas on a seasonal basis. Important cheese products that find a ready market are ‘chugo’ (dried cubes of cheese) from the west and central Bhutan and ‘zoetey’ (fermented cheese) from eastern Bhutan.
Migratory cattle in the temperate areas are local animals; herd size could range from 18 to over 100. Sometimes small herds are pooled for logistical and economic reasons. Movement of animals to the lower sub-tropical area starts in November – December and they only come back in April.
Despite the government’s efforts in discouraging migration in this agro-ecological zone through supply of improved exotic cattle breeds like Jerseys and Brown Swiss, migration is likely to be there for years to come. The following reasons encourage migration (MOA, 2001):