Local goats dominate Dashain market in Saptari

BY SUDHA DEO,Saptari, Sept. 30: Locally raised goats and bucks have become the top choice among consumers in Saptari district as the Dashain festival approaches. The Rajbiraj market is bustling with the sale and distribution of local goats and bucks, reared by villagers from nearby areas.

Local traders said that consumers prefer livestock raised within their own communities. Kaseem Ansari, a long-time livestock trader, said that during Dashain, farmers themselves brought the goats and bucks they had raised at home directly to the market for sale. “While we usually handle sales throughout the year, during Dashain, most people come and sell their animals personally,” he said.

According to Rubi Jha of Rajbiraj-2, although goat markets are typically held on Mondays and Thursdays in Rajbiraj, daily markets have been operating since a week before Dashain and will continue until Ashtami (the eighth day of the festival).

The demand for goats and bucks spikes during Dashain, especially from Panchami to Nawami, as devotees offer animal sacrifices at various temples including the famous Chhinnamasta Temple in the district, Rajdevi and Bhagwati temples in Rajbiraj, and the Kankalini Temple in Bhardaha, as well as in individual households to their ancestral deities.

Chanda Dev of Rajbiraj-6 said she also purchased two local bucks specifically for sacrificial offerings. “Since local goats are preferred during Dashain, I chose to buy local ones too,” she said.

The increasing demand for locally raised goats has resulted in significant earnings for livestock rearers. Asha Devi Yadav of Rajbiraj-1 said that selling three bucks, two goats, and two kids in the Rajbiraj market by Panchami this year, she earned around Rs. 90,000.

She said “I rear three female goats, which give birth to around 12 kids a year. During Dashain, I usually sell seven to nine goats and bucks annually, making between Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 100,000.”