FMTC to sell 3,000 goats in Kathmandu Valley this Dashain

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, Sept. 22: Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC), state owned entity, is planning to sell about 3,000 goats and mountain goats (chyangra) in the Kathmandu Valley for the upcoming Dashain festival.

According to Chief Executive Officer at FMTC Mohan Prakash Chand, the Company is planning to purchase 2,000 goats and 1,000 mountain goats to sell in the Kathmandu Valley through its Thapathali-based office targeting the festival.

The FMTC has been selling goats in Kathmandu Valley targeting Dashain festival every year.  Normally, the FMTC starts to sell goats from the day of Ghatasthapana.

"We are preparing to purchase goats from various districts like Makawanpur, Dang and Dhading. Similarly, we are planning to supply chyangra from Dolakha, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchowk," he said.

This year, the Company is coordinating with the Agriculture Cooperative of Dhading to supply goats to the company, he said.

The FMTC has allocated a budget of around Rs. 83 million for the programme, according to the Company.

In order to prevent the traders from charging high prices from the consumers during the festival, the state-owned enterprise is buying goats and chyangras from the outer districts and bringing them to the capital.

CEO Chand said that the Corporation will start purchasing goats from the farmers through its branch offices two weeks before the Dashain festival.

The Corporation will form a committee under the coordination of the Chief District Officer to buy goats from the concerned districts, he said.

"The FMTC board will fix the price of goats on the basis of purchasing price, transportation and adding nominal profit," he said.

He, however, claimed that the selling price of goats will be cheaper compared to trader's price because the objective of FMTC is to control market price of meat during the high demand festival. 

"The selling quantity of the Company will be very nominal compared to the demand of the Valley. Our objective is to control the artificial price of traders during the festival as the demand of meat will be higher in the festival," he said.

The demand for goats stands between 55,000 to 65,000 during the Dashain festival, he informed.

The FMTC sold around 1,900 goats and 200 chyangras last year.

Last year, the FMTC sold live goats at Rs. 670 per kilogram and mountain goats at Rs. 1,250 per kg with a Rs. 10 discount per kg.

He said that the FMTC will also provide a discount on goats this year too as per the direction of the government.

He expressed his hope that the FMTC will sell goats as per its target this year if the situation remains the same.

Last year, FMTC was not able to sell the mountain goats brought from Darchula after rumours spread that they were selling goats in the name of mountain goats.

FMTC CEO Chand said that only about 200 mountain goats out of 400 brought from Darchula to Kathmandu had been sold last year after negative rumours had spread among the consumers.

And the rest of the mountain goats purchased by FMTC were returned to the Agricultural Cooperative of Darchula, he said.

"We bought mountain goats from Darchula in coordination with the local level and CDO after the price of mountain goats became expensive in Mustang, but there was a negative rumour that FMTC sold goats as mountain goats here," he said.

The Company did not sell mountain goats for two consecutive years as it could not purchase mountain goats due to high prices. The price of chyangra skyrocketed in the country since COVID-19 as the supply of chyangra from Tibet stopped. The production of chyangra is very low and it does not meet the national demand.

The price of readymade meat of chyangra reached above Rs. 3,500 per kg in Kathmandu Valley last year.  

"There is a plan to bring mountain goats from Dolakha, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchok according to availability this year," he said.

The FMTC will pay due attention to sell healthy goats, he said and added that it will purchase goats from farmers after a health check by the doctors.

Stating that it is the responsibility of the FMTC to sell qualitative and healthy goats to the consumers at a cheaper rate, he assured that the FMTC's goats will be healthier and fresh.

Along with the sale of goats, the FMTC will also operate fair price shops in more than 45 places inside and outside Kathmandu Valley targeting to provide essential goods at a discounted rate, he said.