Sheep, goats worth Rs 100m traded in Jumla during Dashain

JUMLA: Sheep and goats worth Rs 100 million were traded during this festive season alone in Jumla district. The total amount of sales of the animals this year was lower by Rs 60 million compared to last year’s festive season, officials said.

Chief of the Livestock Development Section of Chandannath Municipality in Jumla, Bir Bahadur Rawat, said the major market areas in the district, including the district headquarters, Khalanga bazaar, sold goats and sheep equal to Rs 100 million during the Dashain festival. In addition, buffalo were also sold for meat in the district.

The sale of goats, sheep, buffalo and fowl is generally high during the Dashain festival period as people sacrifice these animals at goddess shrines, and meat consumption also increases due to the festivities.

The Livestock Development Section of Chandannath Municipality stated that billy goats, sheep and buffaloes worth Rs 163.2 million were traded during the festive season last year.

As per the data shared by the officials, a total of 5,843 sheep were traded in the district during the festival.

Rawat shared that the maximum price for each sheep was fixed at Rs 23,000, and the minimum price was Rs 9,000 in the district.

Likewise, the maximum price for each billy goat was Rs 22,000, and the lowest rate was fixed at Rs 8,000.

The district received billy goats, sheep and buffaloes from neighbouring districts of Mugu, Kalikot, Dailekh, Bajura and others.

The local traders shared that the price for sheep and goats was reduced by almost 30% this year compared to last year.

The traders here sell sheep and goats from Jumla and the nearby districts, as imports of Tibetan Himalayan goats are no longer a practice since 2068 BS.

The Livestock Service Office, Jumla, stated that the farmers in the district have reared some 88,000 sheep.

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