By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 30: Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC), the state-owned entity, started selling mountain goats (Chyangra) and goats for the Dashain festival from Monday.
The FMTC started selling goats and mountain goats from its Thapathali-based depot from this morning, said Shree Mani Khanal, departmental chief of FMTC.
He said that the company brought 1,920 mountain goats from Mustang and 1,000 goats from Dang and Hetauda.
The company has a plan to sell 2,000 mountain goats and 1,000 goats this Dashain festival.
He added that they were selling live mountain goats at Rs. 730 per kilo and goats at Rs. 550 per kilo.
He said that a board meeting of the company Sunday fixed the selling price of goats and mountain goats considering their purchasing price and transportation cost.
He said that the company had fixed the selling price, including the discount of Rs.10 per kilo, of the goats and mountain goats.
Khanal said that the price fixed by the company was less than the cost price.
The government has charged 13 per cent transportation cost, which attributed to an increase in the cost of the company, he said, adding that the company was selling the goats facing loss.
The price of goats and mountain goats increased by Rs. 40 per kilogram and Rs. 20 per kilogram respectively as the purchase price has increased, he said.
Purchase price of goats in Hetauda is Rs. 570 per kilogram while a live mountain goat costs Rs. 560 in Mustang, he said.
Last year, it sold live goats at Rs. 510 per kilogram and mountain goats at Rs. 710.
He said that a total of 500 mountain goats had already arrived in Kathmandu and remaining animals were on the route and they were expected to arrive in Kathmandu by Wednesday.
Likewise, around 400 goats arrived in Kathmandu Sunday evening while 600 will be transported on Wednesday, he said.
He said that the price of chyangra and goats increased this year compared to last year owing to increase the purchasing price from the farmers and the growing transportation cost.
Currently, the private traders are selling goats up to Rs. 600 per kg and mountain goats at Rs. 780 per kg.
“The quantity of goats to be sold by the company will be very nominal compared to the demand of goats in the valley. Our objective is to control the artificial price of traders," he said.
Stating that it is the responsibility of the FMTC to sell quality and healthy goats to the consumers, he assured that the FMTC goats are healthier and fresh.