Gaderis giving up sheep raising in lack of pastures

By Our Correspondent,Inaruwa, Nov.1: Sheep rearing, which is the ancestral occupation of the Gaderi (Pal) community, is in crisis. Every year, the number of farmers and businesses that raise sheep is decreasing due to the lack of pasture and lack of access to markets for selling meat and wool.

In the past, there were more than 200 sheep sheds in the district, but now it has reduced to 10. Locals were raising sheep collectively in a mobile sheep shed. However, due to the recent increase in population density, the sheep rearing business is in crisis because of shrinking grazing area, Pal said.

On the one hand, there is a lack of pasture area, on the other hand, there is a lack of market, and besides that, the young generation is not interested in this business, so the sheep rearing occupation has started to fall into crisis.

Sudhir Gaderi of the Pal community complained that the youth of the village were not interested in sheep farming as they were focused on staying in the city, education and some wanted to go abroad.

Until a decade ago, it was possible to earn a lot of money by selling sheep’s meat and wool, but recently, sheep herders said that young people have not shown much interest in this business due to the lack of pastures and the difficulty of working in sheep sheds.

Ramphal Gaderi Pal said, “We can earn a good income from the sheep rearing business, but we have to graze the sheep sometimes in the river, sometimes in the village and sometimes in open fields. It is very hard. That’s why there are no young people to get into this business.”

He said that they can make good money by selling sheep meat, wool and manure. But the number of farmers rearing sheep and the number of sheep have also decreased.

According to Kumar Singh Khatri, Chief of Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Expert Centre, Sunsari, there are mobile sheep sheds in places, including Harinagara of Harinagar Rural Municipality and Madhyaharshahi and Sahebgunj of Dewanganj Rural Municipality of the district.

According to him, there are about 3,250 sheep in 10 mobile sheep sheds in the district. According to the Centre, it is estimated that an annual income of Rs. 25 million comes from sheep raising.

Around nine tonnes of meat is produced annually from sheep reared in mobile sheep sheds.

The price of a sheep ranges from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 40,000. The price of sheep wool is more than Rs. 400 per 2.5 kg. 

An annual income of Rs. 25 million has been earned from the sale of sheep meat alone. The sheep meat here is supplied to the local market, including the headquarters, Inaruwa.

A total of 22 farms of sheep rearing who are producing meat and wool in the district are registered and operating.

Although there is sheep rearing business in the bordering villages, the shepherds go to Inaruwa, Gadhi, Duhabi and Koshi with their flocks of sheep to graze.