Price of goat meat expected to remain stable this Dashain

KATHMANDU, Oct 5: Price of goat meat is expected to remain stable in the upcoming Dashain due to adequate domestic production and supply.

According to the Department of Livestock Services (DoLS), the domestic production of live goats has increased to 14 million annually, which is more than double in the past two decades. Of the total production, around 3.5 million goats are traded commercially while the remaining is consumed at the local level.

Chandra Dhakal, spokesperson for the DoLS, said as the current supply is more than the demand for the upcoming festivals, the price of goat meat will remain stable. According to him, around one million live goats are sold throughout the country during Dashain.  

Related story

Over 100,000 tourists visit Mustang in nine months

Of the total demand during the festival, 50,000 goats are consumed in the Kathmandu Valley alone. The demand in Pokhara stands at 12,000  while it is 10,000 in Biratnagar.

The records at the DoLS show that Nepal consumes 379,000 tons of meat annually while the production amount is 552,000 tons a year. On normal days, the demand for chicken is maximum at 300,000-350,000 kg daily in the Valley. However, the consumption of goat meat surges mainly in Dashain.

Meanwhile, the government-owned Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) will start selling Dashain-targeted goats in the Valley starting Friday. The company has targeted to sell 2,000 goats during the festival.  

According to FMTC, it will be selling the farm product by offering a discount of Rs 10 a kg compared to the prevailing market price. The government enterprise has decided not to sell Himalayan goats this year citing high price due to shortage.