Goats to be dearer this festive season
Kathmandu, October 7
In yet another blow to inflation hit-festive consumers, live goats and mutton will be dearer this festive season.
Owing to the low domestic production and increased price of goats in India - the major supplier of the livestock for Nepal - traders informed that the price of live goats will go up this festive season.
Private livestock traders, who are planning to supply almost 70,000 goats this Dashain in the Valley against 60,000 goats supplied during Dashain last year, said consumption of mutton and demand for live goats during Dashain has been increasing every year while the domestic production has not been able to keep up pace with demand.
“In such a context, more than 60 per cent of domestic demand of live goats during Dashain is being fulfilled through supply from India. As live goats have become dearer in the Indian market, it will be dearer in the domestic market too,” informed Deepak Thapa, former president of Nepal Livestock Traders Association (NLTA).
Along with people increasingly celebrating Dashain in the Valley itself, the demand for live goats here is rising during the festive season every passing year, he stated.
According to Thapa, though the actual rate of live goats is yet to be determined, its price is expected to exceed Rs 590 per kg during the Dashain festival. Last year during Dashain, traders had sold live goats at an average of Rs 525 per kg.
Meanwhile, the state-owned Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) is preparing to sell around 2,000 goats in Kathmandu Valley at a subsidised rate for Dashain this year. Every year, NFC sells a certain number of goats at discounted rate in the Valley during Dashain as a market intervention to control the arbitrary rise in price of goats and provide relief to consumers.
