Be commercial to be resilient!

BirendraBogati, residential of Chaurpati Rural Municipality-7 Marku, Achham live with his 4 children (3 son and 1 daughter) and his wife. His own land’s production only feed them up to 6 months and to overcome this situation, once he went to India for earning but couldn’t stay much longer as he did not like being there as a servant. But he had to manage everything for his family and children as they were studying in a local school at Marku.

After his returning from India, he was internally committed to doing business in the village and started supporting his wife in agriculture works. His family was raising few goats traditionally as lacks technical know-how but passionate to find supporting agencies for improved techniques. Fortunately, PAHAL started working in Marku in 2016 and formed goat group named as Navadurga. It was really turning point of his life as PAHAL entered in Marku and he enthusiastically happen to participate in balanced diet preparation and management, improved shed management like trainings. During this period, he had 23 goats and was in need of appropriate goat raising trainings. In 2016, PAHAL in coordination with District Livestock Office (DLSO) supported Setaria and Napier grass and technically supported in plantation. Now, he is involved in fodder and pasture farming as well.

Now, Birendra is feeling happy as he has 30 goats out of them 12 are pregnant. He sells bucks of 9 to 10 months in USD 1000-1500 easily at local level. He had sold Setaria and Napier grass worth USD 3000 at local level and various government and non-government organizations. He has 8 ropani of marginal land where he is cultivating fodder species at Marku and he has also purchased 1.33 ropani of land in Kailali. He said, “not only me but other farmers are equally encouraged in raising goats commercially in the village”

Previous to forming goat group, Bogati and other farmers of Marku were not much aware of roundworm medicines, vaccines and used to keep goat along with other livestock animals under same shed causing several disease outbreaks. After receiving training from PAHAL program and knowing its consequences, all of them are feeding roundworm medicines once in every four month and keeping goat separately in improved shed. Now, Bogati had constructed improved shed as well as dipping tank for goat group as well from financial and technical support of PAHAL program. On behalf of the group, he is also raising boar buck with the support from PAHAL program, which is also contributing towards breed improvement in his group and area. Currently, his annual income from goat selling is USD 8000 and he has deposited USD 7000 in Sannikot cooperative and other financial institutions. He is fully satisfied from his business as his livelihood standard is enhanced preventing him from going abroad. He is not facing problems as previously faced by his family and suggest other farmers to raising goat at commercial level to be resilient. He said, “Be commercial with appropriate knowledge and skills to be resilient” Now, he don’t like to be servant but the entrepreneur at his own village and role model. He is further planning to increase the area of grass cultivation for commercial fodder cultivation as well. In future he wants to be known as a laborious and commercial farmer cultivating vegetable, goat and fodder species. He is seeking additional technical and financial support from PAHAL and government agencies to meet his future plan so that other youths would be attracted in agriculture sector.
“I would like to thank PAHAL program for changing my belief towards agriculture, motivating and commercializing me in goat keeping” -said Bogati.