Intensification of pastoralism and its consequences in Soviet Qazaqstan in 1960s – 1980s

Abstract

An article based on archival materials and a series of interviews with Qazaq livestock farmers and rural residents analyzes the process that led to the disappearance of extensive pastoralism, based on nomadic way of life, and to the emergence of a model of sedentary and productive livestock farming and its further modernization under the conditions of Soviet Qazaqstan in the 1960s – 1980s. Modernization of livestock in Soviet Qazaqstan took place after the Stalinist forced collectivization and resettlement of nomads, which led to tragic consequences and mass hunger among the Qazaqs. By the 1950s, the Qazaq SSR had restored significant numbers of all livestock species, but livestock production faced a reduction in grazing land. The expansion of grain farming on «virgin lands» and irrigated territories has displaced Qazaq pastoralists into the most arid steppe and desert regions of the republic. However, the Soviet Prometheanism did not give up on the development of pastoralism, introducing excessive exploitation of pastures, intensification of feed production, as well as ambitious agronomic and technical interventions in soils and water resources of Qazaqstan. The growth of livestock showed clearly the shortcomings of «sedentary» animal husbandry and prompted the Soviet leadership to return to the path of trailed cattle breeding in 1941–1964. However, the continuing shortage of pastures has led to new measures aimed at their expansion through the development of new areas of prairie pastures on unused land, increased crop yields, and increased fodder production. The Federal and Republican governments created a whole network of scientific institutions that monitored livestock policy, tried to make recommendations. Animal scientists focused on animal breeding, veterinary science, grazing, and feed production. Despite all the transformations, during the Soviet era herding remained the most important activity of the Qazaq society, as the Qazaqs had a monopoly on raising sheep, goats, horses and camels in the territory of the Qazaq SSR