In Yakutia, the reindeer population increased by five per cent to 171,000, in 2022. The largest part of the population is in the Ust-Yansk District.

"What makes reindeer breeding different from other branches of agriculture is that it is a cornerstone and a way of life, culture and worldview of the northerners. Today Yakutia pays close attention to state support for reindeer breeding," Head of Yakutia Aysen Nikolayev said.

Earlier, the head of the republic issued an order to increase the rate of support for reindeer herding starting from 2023: the subsidy per reindeer will increase to 5,335 rubles. 

As noted by the Republic's Ministry of Agriculture, the all-time record in the district was a herd of 35,000 reindeer.

"The district is approaching these figures, and in two or three years it plans to reach this milestone," the ministry said and added that reindeer farms are also building reindeer bases, corrals, and buying snowmobiles and cross-country vehicles. Special attention is paid to the social protection of female reindeer herders.

Reindeer are bred in 20 out of 34 districts in Yakutia. There are 111 reindeer farms in the republic, employing more than 1,200 people.

Since 2020, Yakutia has been implementing the Young Reindeer Herder program, under which young representatives of the industry who have worked in herds for at least four years receive 1 million rubles each to finance the purchase or construction of housing in an Arctic region. In two years, the republic's authorities have provided over 20 reindeer herders with new homes on a competitive basis.