Man makes substantial earning from animal husbandry

By Arjun Kafle,Syangja, Sept. 11: The trend of youth to go abroad for employment has been increasing saying that there are no job opportunities in the country. However, a farmer of Syangja is making good income by raising buffaloes and cows using the barren land properly.

Bishnu Prasad Pokharel, a farmer of Phedikhola Rural Municipality-1, Mattikhan, has been earning good income from buffalo rearing business. 

He has been rearing buffaloes and cows in his own 26 ropanies of land and additional 50 ropanies of land taking in long-term blockage and 50 ropanies of land in rent. He has taken 50 ropanies of land on lease by paying Rs. 1,000 for a ropani per year.

Pokharel, who ran a grocery shop in Phedikhola market, left the business after the land in the village became barren and started raising buffaloes and cows four years ago. He said that he started animal husbandry by buying 10 Murrah buffaloes and building a shed with an investment of Rs. 4 million.

Pokharel, who started his business in the year 2020 by registering the Janabiswas Agriculture and Livestock Multi-Purpose Farm, has now registered it as private limited company as the business has grown.

In his farm, there are 180 buffaloes, including 130 advanced breeds of mother buffaloes and 50 calves. Similarly, there are 70 cows, including 30 mother cows and 40 calves.

Stating that there are 40 buffaloes and 15 milking cows in the farm, Pokharel said that 600 litres of milk is produced daily. He said that he earns Rs. 80,000 per day from selling the milk.

Stating that he earns around Rs. 30 million from the sale of milk and dung manure every year, Pokharel said that half of the income is saved and invested in the business. The investment in the business has now reached Rs. 70 million and his goal is to build a large agricultural farm in the district by increasing the investment gradually.

He is selling buffalo milk at Rs. 140 per litre and cow milk at Rs. 110 per litre in different markets, including Kubhinde, Sarketari of Phedikhola, Nagaddal of Putalibazar, Setidobhan of Aandhikhola and Pokhara.

Because the money does not come when selling the milk in the dairy, it is sold in the local market, he said. All those workers working in Pokharel's farm have returned from abroad. There are 15 workers in his farm. They are getting a monthly salary ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 28,000. 

Stating that he has not received any subsidy so far, Pokharel said that those who do business with subsidies will not succeed.