Shree Ram Sigdel

Nawalparasi, July 3:

Goat farming programme in Nawalparasi run by the district veterinary office has helped raise the living standard of many villagers, who used to eke out a livelihood by crushing stones or working as domestic helps. Tulasi Maya Pariyar of Rajhar-8, Bartaandi, said that she has stopped working on a daily wage basis after being helped by goat farming. Many more like her are sure that the programme would help them come out of poverty. Tulasi Maya was provided with five nanny goats in the beginning of last year and now she has 20 goats. The number of goats increased by 15 within a year. Today she is happy.

She returned five goats to help more people like her. She said, “Within a year, I was able to earn more than Rs 40,000 without any investment. I don’t need to go back to my old work,” she said. She had been giving her examples to her neighbours. The district veterinary office (DVO) had given goats to 10 villagers of Bartaandi and they were able to generate income of more than Rs 0.2 million in a year, said Krishna Prasad Sharma, chief of the DVO. Most residents of Bartaandi are squatters and they have been greatly facilitated by this programme, he added.

Jaya Subha Tamang, secretary of the goat farming group, said that last year, they had planted high-quality grass on two hectares of land to make the programme more effective.

“We are planning to do the same this year,” he added. Sushma Tamang, member of the group, said that they are unable to buy nanny goats themselves.

She further lamented the fact that if they buy such nanny goats after taking loans from landlords, landlords become the owners of the goats as well as the kids. This programme had been very effective, she said. Phul Maya Tamang, chairman of the group, said that there are 50 members in the group and they rotate the goats annually, giving priority to members according to their financial conditions. Nine areas have been declared as pocket areas for goat farming in the district and two more have been declared for special income programme, said chief Sharma and added that the office is targeting to make the programme more effective.