Mustang ward chair selling mountain goats while serving the people

By Harikrishna Sharma,Muktinath, Sept. 24: Surendra Gurung, ward chair of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality–5 in Mustang, has been busy selling Chyangra (Himalayan mountain goats) this past week. 

A people’s representative who also proudly identifies as a farmer, Gurung has temporarily handed over his ward duties to a deputy-chair as he embarks on a week-long journey selling over 300 Chyangra ahead of the festive season. 

Travelling to the Jomsom–Beni trail on foot, Gurung plans to reach as far as Kaski to ensure his products reach consumers directly. 

Raised in a financially disadvantaged family, he believes that cutting out middlemen and selling directly to the targeted customers allows farmers to earn fairly. He further informed that he reinvests the profits he earns in his business. 

Expressing concern over traders selling mountain goats at inflated prices, Gurung laments that such practices create the false perception that Mustang’s Chyangra is overpriced. “I’ve become self-reliant through animal rearing while serving the public,” he says. “If elected representatives lack a steady income, there’s always the risk of corruption creeping in.”

Ward chair Gurung’s efforts are not only a personal endeavor but also a message to other farmers. 

He encourages local producers to connect directly with consumers and take control of their pricing. 

Beyond politics and farming, Gurung is actively involved in youth clubs and religious initiatives in his community.

Even after being elected, Gurung has not detached himself from his roots in agriculture and animal husbandry. 

Instead, he plans to pursue it even more actively after his political term ends. “People expect us to give them time and attention. But at the same time, I have managed to show that community farming can be profitable and sustainable.”

Pramesh Gurung, the spokesperson for the rural municipality said that Gurung’s efforts illustrates how politics and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand to inspire local communities. 

According to him, the municipality, through its 22nd council has allocated funds for attractive subsidy programmes in agriculture and livestock for the fiscal year 2025/26. 

Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality provides tools, seeds, medicines and technical support to promote self-reliance in these sectors. 

Mustang’s regions of Varagung Muktichhetra, Lomanthang and Lo Ghekar Damodarkunda are officially designated mountain goat pocket areas, hosting more than 80 per cent of the district’s mountain goat farms.