Govt employee quits job, finds niche in goat rearing

Myagdi, May 5: A government employee, Bhuwani Poudel, from Bagar, Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-7 in the district has quit a job and begun goat rearing, thereby fostering self-entrepreneurship. 

Poudel, who worked as an office assistant at the Agricultural Development Office in Beni for ten years in contract, has made gradual progress in entrepreneurship with the establishment of Bagar Agriculture and Livestock Multipurpose Farm.

“I worked as an office assistant for nearly 11 years after returning from foreign employment in the Gulf countries. I worked for five years abroad," Paudel shared, adding that he planned to launch goat farming with the change in governance- three tiers of government in place. The goat farm begun with nine goats has now over 60 goats.

Poudel is earning as much as Rs 500,000 by selling 30 to 40 goats in a year, which finely helps him running family and children's schooling in Beni, the district headquarters.  There is favourable market for him to sell the goats. The customers themselves visit his farm. 

He has not limited business in goat farming- oranges and vegetables are grown commercially. The orange trees have started yielding, which has further encouraged Paudel to expand the citrus fruit to 100 trees. Poudel shared farming and goat rearing give him immense satisfaction compared to foreign employment and job in contract. His goats are of Jamunapari species. Special pens are made for these. Even a he-goat of Boyer species is kept for breeding.

He has expected support from the government in expanding his farm and related infrastructures. In order to manage nourishing food, he has cultivated fodder trees, 'dale ghans', which provide grass for multiple years. 

Two large Tibetan dogs are integral part of farming, as they help take care of goats. These dogs remain vigilant and barking at night to alert and avoid attacks of wild animals. During day too, the goats are taken to graze in the forest.

Bhuwani's business is hugely supported by his spouse, Bhagawati. (RSS)