ULAN BATOR, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's livestock population fell to 57.6 million in 2024, representing a 10.9 percent decline compared to the previous year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported on Monday.

The reduction is primarily attributed to extreme winter conditions known as "dzud," which severely impacted livestock survival during the last winter.

"Dzud" is a Mongolian term referring to a severely cold winter when livestock struggle to survive due to frozen or snow-covered ground.

According to the NSO's recent annual livestock census, the total livestock population includes 42.5 percent of sheep, 39.8 percent of goats, 8.8 percent of cattle, 8.1 percent of horses, and 0.8 percent of camels.

Among the Asian country's 21 provinces, the northernmost province, Khuvsgul, has the largest number of livestock with 5.2 million, followed by the central provinces of Uvurkhangai and Tuv with 5.1 million and 4.2 million, respectively.

Livestock herding is a crucial sector for Mongolia, a country known for its nomadic traditions.

The promotion of livestock husbandry is seen as the most viable solution to diversify the landlocked country's mining-dependent economy. Enditem

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