Sheep rearing loses its charm in Rukum East

By Jayaman Budha Magar, Rukum East, Aug. 25: Until a decade ago, almost every household in Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality of Rukum Eastern district used to rear sheep. But now only a handful are giving continuity to their traditional occupation.

Ram Kumar Budha Magar of Ward No. 11 of Putha Uttarganga recalls how the villagers used to pass the days rearing sheep during old times. But now in his old age, Ram Kumar cannot rear the sheep.

“I was involved in sheep farming for 30 years. Two years ago, I sold all of my sheep. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t look after them in this old age alone,” said Ram Kumar.

Another local Dayadhan Gharti Magar from Ward No. 10 of Putha Uttarganga said that rearing sheep and selling their wool, milk and even the quadrupeds was the major source of income until a decade ago in the rural municipality.

“Sheep farming requires an individual to walk long distances and reach different places in between low and high altitude. New generations find the work tiring as they are more attracted towards modernism,” said Dayadhan.

Sheep are taken to pastures for grazing. Sheep should be taken to higher altitude for six months in summer and brought down to the lower hills for six months in winter, he added.

Commercial sheep farmers take sheep up to pastures near the border with Tibet, China, during summer and go down to Dang in winter.

“Shifting the pens of sheep from high land to low land and vice versa is a must for both the herders and animals to prosper. Now, it is sad to see how the traditional occupation of sheep farming is disappearing from our villages,” said Layan Budha Magar, Ward No. 11 chairman. 

Motivation to sheep farmers

“All three tiers of the government have been conducting different programmes to motivate individuals towards sheep farming,” said Bhim Prakash KC, chief at Putha Uttarganga’s Livestock Division.

In the last fiscal year, sheep farmers of Putha Uttarganga took part in sheep promotion programmes for wool production introduced by the federal government, sheep breeding programmes of the Lumbini Province government and sheep’s disease diagnosis and treatment alongside shed development programmes of the local level.

KC informed that now there are 21,000 sheep reared by 300 households of Putha Uttarganga.