Snowfall: Boon to agriculture and animal husbandry

By Hari Krishna Sharma,Muktinath (Mustang), Jan. 31: A chyangra rearer, Angyal Gurung of Chhoser, Lomanthang Rural Municipality–1 in Upper Mustang, has moved his livestock to high-altitude sheds following the snowfall.

With sudden snowfall on Wednesday, he has been struggling to protect more than 700 chyangra kept at sheds located at an altitude of about 4,700 meters above sea level.

After nearly five years, Upper Mustang has received heavy snowfall, making it difficult for farmers to safeguard chyangra, yaks, and chauri in grazing areas. 

However, despite the hardship, farmers are happy, believing that the snowfall will help grass grow better in the coming season.

Farmers in Mustang who are actively engaged in agriculture and livestock farming are feeling encouraged after a long period of disappointment caused by the lack of snowfall due to climate change, which had resulted in insufficient grass in grazing areas. 

Snowfall helps create favourable temperatures needed for yaks and chauri in the pasture area.

In recent years, due to irregular snowfall, the grazing areas and even the habitats of yaks and chauri had gradually shifted to higher Himalayan regions.

In Upper Mustang, snowfall of up to around three feet has been recorded in some areas. Despite temperatures remaining below zero for the past five years—causing rivers, springs, and irrigation canals to freeze—there had been no snowfall during that period. 

There is a single crop in the upper region. 

Although crops are not cultivated regularly during the winter season, moisture retained in the fields helps support monsoon crops and apple farming, said Dr. Lalmani Aryal, Chief of the Agriculture and Livestock Development Office, Mustang.

“This time’s snowfall will prove to be a boon for the agriculture and livestock sectors. Due to the thick layer of snow, new grass will grow well in the grazing areas,” Dr. Aryal said.

Stating that irregular rainfall and snowfall in recent years had negatively affected agriculture and livestock farming, Dr. Aryal said that snowfall will also help improve the production of major crops such as apples, other sour fruit varieties, potatoes, and other agricultural products.

According to Dr. Aryal, no reports of damage to the livestock or agricultural sectors have been received following the snowfall that occurred on Wednesday in Mustang. 

The cold temperatures are essential for pollination in apple farming, and snowfall also helps reduce the incidence of various diseases affecting apple crops, said farmer Chhewang Nayan Gurung of Khinga village in Waragung Muktikshetra–1.

When the snowfall of this season remains on the ground for a long time, it also harms pests that destroy crops and increases production.

In a situation where production is decreasing due to lack of adequate irrigation, the heavy snow and rain will increase the production of agriculture and fruits every year in the coming year, according to the Agriculture and Livestock Development Office, Mustang. 

This season, snowfall has occurred twice in the rural municipalities of Thasang, Gharpajhong, Baragung Muktikshetra, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda, and Lomanthang. 

In the absence of regular snowfall, agricultural production in the district had been declining.