Role of Camel Husbandry in Food Security of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript has been significantly improved and can be published.
Congratulations to the authors.

Reviewer 2 Report

The article is written on good level. Choiced theme is actual and interesting. Authors are able to offer a viable solution to a practical problem of their choice. They used very rich material consisted of statistical data. Used literature is suitable. Goal of the article given by authors was fulfilled. Result of their analysis is following.  

     Camel farming has shown successful development over the past 10 years, however, it requires further development, considering 473 state support programs in the form of subsidies, grants, etc. An integrated approach at the 474 state and regional level will partially solve the problem of self-sufficiency of the 475 population with dairy products and reduce the level of malnutrition in the republic.

     Authors have suitable overview and analyzed given topic. Their points of view are suitably expressed. Applied metodology was previously based on comparative and descriptive methods. I reccomend accept the article as review.

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

In my opinion, the paper should be improved in-depth. The topic is very interesting itself, but my general impression is negative. Some questions and remarks:

• What is the final aim of the paper? (compare lines 69-71 and conclusion or discussion) What is the scientific problem?
• The method of analysis is not presented clearly.
• There is no theoretical background and literature review that are necessary in scientific articles.
• There are a lot of information (interesting by the way), but what is the impact of your research in the literature? I am still mixed about the role of camel breeding in ensuring food security in Kazakhstan. It is a good solution but where is the problem. There are many information connected to the topic, but too much doesn’t improve quality.

Some technical notes: no sources beneath tables and figures; in lines 233, 246-247 should be p.p. not %.

 

My suggestion for Authors: try to concentrate on some selected aspect and study it in depth (for example, only the self-sufficiency problem or environmental problems connected with camel husbandry in ensuring food security) and develop some statistical methods to improve your research. You have done a lot of work but embraced too many areas, so the effect is really misleading and needs to be improved.

Reviewer 2 Report

The topic addressed by the authors is interesting from several perspectives, namely:

1. The rearing of camels in Central Asian countries, and especially in Kazakhstan, is ancient and the actual rearing of animals in recent years is gratifying.
2. The data provided on the efficiency of raising camels for milk are up-to-date and highlight how this area can be an attractive sector for Kazakh agriculture.
3. Against the background of climate change, raising camels for milk can be a viable solution, given that these animals are not demanding of food and drinking water temperature.

However, this paper has some drawbacks, which should be clarified, namely:

1. The title is risky, raising camels cannot solve food security in Kazakhstan. At most it can contribute to this effort. I suggest you optimize the title according to the content of the manuscript.
2. There is a need to clarify the behavioral aspects of people in Kazakhstan with regard to the consumption of camel's milk.
3. It is necessary to introduce a chapter on nutritional differentials as well as price / liter between cow's milk and camel's milk.
4. The conclusions of the study are not based on the results obtained and presented in the manuscript.
5. The accessed literature needs to be improved.
6. I suggest you present the limits of your study.