KHOTANG, Oct 22: Khotang district used to rely heavily districts for supply of meat and eggs. But this is no more the case. With a number of agricultural cooperatives engaged in poultry farming, Khotang is becoming self-reliant in production of meat and eggs. 
 
“Since a few years, there has been no need to get eggs and meat from the Tarai. Whatever is produced here suffices enough,” said Subash Joshi, president of Kalika Agricultural Cooperative. “Before, households, hotels and shops used to heavily reply on imports,” he added. 

Commercial poultry farming in Khotang had started just four years ago. According to Joshi, over 4000 eggs and 200 kg of chicken are consumed by hotels in the district headquarters Diktel. 

Apart from being fresh, the local taste is also one of the factors for the booming poultry business. “Sometimes, when businesspersons try to cheat on consumers by mixing the products with those imported from elsewhere, they are easily caught,” Joshi said.

Meanwhile,  Ram Bajagain, a member of a cooperative, informed that locals are earning good money through sale of eggs and meat. 

“Cooperatives provide necessary technological skills as well as tools and other resources for better farming. Chances of failures are thus minimized,” Bajagain said. 

 
• khotang
 
• lack of eggs and meat
 
• self-reliant production