By Our Correspondent
Kaski, Oct.15: The process of bringing mountain goats from Mustang to Pokhara for upcoming Dashain festival has begun.
Every year before Dashain, mountain goats (Chyangra) are supplied from Mustang and other mountain districts to Pokhara and other districts of the country.
Around 1,000 mountain goats have been supplied to Pokhara by Wednesday. The mountain goats are brought in to Pokhara especially from Mustang, Dolpa and Tibet.
However, this year, mountain goats are arriving in Pokhara only from Mustang and Dolpa as they are not imported from China due to closure of the border.
The Chyangras are kept for sale on either side of the Pokhara-Baglung Highway at Hemja, Pokhara-25.
According to the traders, only 15,000 mountain goats will be brought from different parts of Nepal this year, while around 35,000 goats were brought to Pokhara from different parts of Nepal last year.
They said that price of a live chyangra is about Rs. 10,000 more than last year’s price as supply of the animal from China Tibet was banned.
Trader Prakash Kuwar said that the price went up compared to last year as the traders in Mustang increased price of the mountain goats.
Kuwar said that he had brought 178 mountain goats.
According to him, they have paid Rs. 28,000 per chyangra in Mustang and additional Rs. 2,000 was spent to bring them to Pokhara.
He said he was selling a chyangra at Rs 33,000 to Rs 35,000 in Pokhara.
He has planned to earn Rs. 1 million from the investment of Rs. 2.7 million from selling mountain goats brought from Mustang.
Ramesh Shrestha, another trader, said that price of one chyangra this year was Rs.10, 000 higher than last year’s price.
The traders in Mustang raised prices of chyangra due to halt in the import of mountain goats from Tibet, he said.
He said that he spent Rs. 6.4 million to buy 239 mountain goats.
Daulat Singh of Bagar, Pokhara, who went to buy mountain goats, said that price of mountain goats had increased unnaturally this year.
The price has gone up by Rs. 10,000 this year compared to last year, he said.
According to the traders, the locals have not collected taxes on animals as in the past.
At present, fresh houses in Pokhara are selling and distributing Chyangra meat at Rs. 1,600 per kilogram.