In the Aca-Kajyndy village (Naryn region, Kyrgyzstan), most villagers own cattle: at least a few cows, around 20 ewes, and quite often now a horse herd with a stallion and a few mares. These animals are the capital of villagers and are bought or sold according to the needs and budget of the owners.
In the street of the village, new and more modern houses are built and many households now own a car. Salaries are usually low, when there is one in the household. These growing expenses imply to sell cattle on a regular basis, and for exceptional expenses. This has a clear impact on the way Kyrgyz livestock breeders manage their herds.
Increased living standards and needs come with an increase in the number of heads, notably cows and horses, and an increase of the competition for selling livestock. This phenomenon has various impacts on animal circulation between breeders, and various strategies are adopted depending on the species and the owner. Some of them try to increase the value of their animals on livestock market by adopting imported breeds with better zootechnical performances. Others keep local breeds in order to have lower expenses and risks while a third category mix local and imported breeds. Interestingly, these various strategies probably lead to increased livestock diversity.
Increased needs also impact the choice of summer pastures. Those close to accessible roads are preferred because they facilitate trade with dairy factories sending trucks to gather dairy products, and with locals and / or tourists coming during summer.
Thus, the market economy has an obvious impact on animal movements across space, economic and social worlds, but also on the resilience of the pastoral system, notably in a context of dramatic climate changes in the country.
