Hisar sheep in Tajikistan: A profitable and durable livestock

In the hills outside Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, shepherd Bakhtyor Shapirov watches over his flock of giant Hisar sheep. This sheep breed stands out with its profitability and adaptation to climate change. They are one of the most popular livestock in this Central Asian country, which faces problems of meat production and decreasing suitable pasture areas. “They gain weight quickly, even if there is little water and space to spread out,” says 18-year-old Shapirov. Hisar sheep are a potential boon for farmers and an abundant source of mutton for consumers in Tajikistan, which is facing shrinking land suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry due to years of overgrazing and global warming. Around 250 animals of the sheep breed, easily distinguishable by the two fat masses on their backs, spread under the supervision of Shapirov in the first sunny days of spring. Şapirov: “These sheep weigh an average of 135 kilos. "It's late winter now, they're not that heavy now, but ...