Many business owners in Russia who depend on their livestock say they haven't been able to do their jobs properly due to the floods.

Orenburg

Business owners in Russia, whose livelihoods depend on livestock, report significant disruptions to their operations due to heavy flooding. The floods have affected farms across the region, making it difficult for these owners to continue their daily activities and maintain stable income sources. This natural disaster poses serious challenges to the agricultural sector, impacting both local economies and the wellbeing of the animals involved.



Farms and livestock affected by heavy floods in Russia

These shawls are Orenburg's most iconic handicraft. They are made of the finest yarn from the Orenburg downy goats, which are native to the highest point in the Orenburg region called Kuvandik. That's where this down matures. Very strong winds blow there, so the down protects the goats from cold. Each fibre inside is empty. This explains the lightness of the scarf and its worms. Albina and her husband Fail own a goat farm with 3,000 animals in the remote Kuvandik district. They also run a yarn factory and a shawl knitting business. They are worried for the animals since the farm has become inaccessible due to the flooding. We can't deliver the amount of feed each goat requires for their daily ration. We feed only young ones so they have milk, while the rest are still on hay. The problem is that the water has risen and the roads are flooded. Once a year we comb the goats and this year due to the floods this didn't happen. We are missing the moment as the goats will begin to shed soon. It takes 60 days to create one's scarf from dirty raw materials to the finished product. One goat needs to be raised and fed for a whole year to get just 300 grams of down fibre. And what the goat eats directly affects the down's quality. The spring months are when most baby goats or kids are born, for which the mother goat needs vitamin supplements in their feed. The flooding across the Kuvandik region means these mother goats have only got enough feed for another two days. The farm owners have already procured feed from their neighbours but it's not enough. They now hope the water will recede soon. Yulia Shapovalova, Algecira, Orenburg, Russia.

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