SUNSARI: Construction of a goat market at one of the largest agricultural produce markets in province 1 has begun.

Goat market is being constructed in Dharan with an investment of around Rs. 6.7 million -- 75 per cent investment by Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development under the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperative of Province 1 and the rest of 25 per cent by agricultural produce market of Dharan.

Construction started 2 months ago with authorities aiming to complete construction by mid-December.

According to Laxman Bhattrai, manager of the agricultural market, the new market will be equipped with better facilities for the proper management of animals, loading-unloading site, animal feeding and water facilities, resting area for traders, arrangement of display boards, weighing machines and veterinarians for a proper health inspection .

Dharan is growing as the popular market for goat traders because of the cheap rates among other facilities to store livestock in a safe place, informed chair of the market, Parshuram Katuwal.

Traders travelling from various hilly districts, flock to livestock markets, to makes sales on Friday. Buddhi Lal Khadgi, a trader, lamented the lack of proper safety and hygiene in the agricultural markets for the animals, increasing the woes of the traders.

Dharan agricultural market has been supplying goats to Biratnagar, Itahari and Damak.  Similarly, traders from various districts of eastern Nepal including Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Tehrathum, Khotang, Dhankuta, Udaipur and Sunsari districts make their way to Dharan agriculture market.

According to Katuwal, over 500 goats are sold in the market every Friday.

Katuwal further added that goat traders who bring livestock into markets, are facing problems due to the lack of proper facilities, claiming that the construction of the goat market will help to solve those problems.

(Translated by Madhavi Marasini)