Results of Economic Activity of Personal Subsidiary Plots Engaged in Distant-Pasture Animal Husbandry in the Republic of Tuva

Animal husbandry is a means of subsistence and a major source of income for families in rural areas in the Central Asia. The article discusses the results of economic activity of personal subsidiary plots engaged in livestock in the Republic of Tuva. The Republic of Tuva lies at the Asian part of Russia and is allocated in southern Siberia. In the article, the calculation of basic annual expenses and incomes of personal subsidiary plots engaged in livestock is made. The calculation is based upon the information on the results of the activities of personal subsidiary plots gained in the field expedition conducted in summer 2019. 59 plots in all 17 regions of the republic are surveyed. Depending on the quantity and species composition of livestock in households in the districts of Tuva, small, average and large personal subsidiary plots are allocated. The study showed that the income of a person working in a small personal subsidiary plot does not reach the average subsistence level of the population established in the region in 2019; and the income in the average one is above the subsistence level but below the minimum wage established in 2019. The income of a person in a large personal subsidiary plot is at the level of the minimum wage. The main factors of low income of livestock breeders are the distance from the capital of the Republic where the main market is located, and the transport inaccessibility due to the terrain and natural conditions.