Goat farming brings smile to Bardiya women

Published On: September 21, 2017 09:30 AM NPT By: Nirmal Ghimire

BARDIYA, Sept 21: Jamuna Regmi of Badhaiya Taal Rural Municipality is delighted with the money she has earned from goat farming.

“I recently sold two goats to District Cooperative Association, Banke. Earlier, we won’t get good price as we were selling goats to middlemen,” she added.

Jamuna is not the only one who is earning good money from goat farming. Most of the women here are involved in goat farming. They are busy selling goats to buyers through cooperatives as demand for goats has hit peak ahead of the Dashain festival.

Most of the women have formed groups to start goat farming. Goat farming has provided local women an alternative source for income generation.

District Cooperative Association, Banke has started buying goats much to the relief of women farmers who earlier were not getting good price due to involvement of middlemen. This has encouraged local women to rear more goats.

Devi Aryal of Munabasti recently sold two goats at Rs 16,000 each. “We never got good price for our goats. But the cooperative is giving us good price,” she added.

The cooperative buys goats from different farmer groups and sells them in nearby market areas.
Heifer International Nepal helps the women to build shelter for goats, while the rural municipality provides technical support to the farmers.

The cooperative has offered local farmers Rs 300 to Rs 360 per kg for live goat. It has already bought around 1,000 goats from farmers. It is sending goats purchased from local farmers to markets in Pokhara and Kathmandu.

Krishna KC, manager of District Cooperative Association Banke, said that the association has so far purchased 1,000 goats from women farmers in Badhaiya Taal Rural Municipality and Gulariya Municipality. “We can offer good price to women as we have our own vehicle to transport goats,” he added.

According to Heifer International Nepal, around 450 women of the area are involved in goat farming. Shovakanta Poudel, marketing manager of Heifer, said that the organization has been providing technical supports for goat farming via different groups.