By Amar Raj Naharki
Tanahun, Dec. 6: There is a proverb in Nepali about making money that roughly translates into ‘Either take the long road or start keeping goats’. Shiva Kumar Ale of Parthadi, Bhimad Municipality – 9 chose to keep goats and became a millionaire thereof.
This is not an extended metaphor. Ale literally rears goats. His farm is named “Sirjansheel Goat Farm” where he keeps 120 goats of improved breeds including 40 female goats. He farms them and sells them and has been able to earn an annual profit of more than Rs. 1.6 million.
Ale started the farm in 2011 with 10 Khari goats. “I was in Piple, Bandipur Rural Municipality – studying to become an overseer - when I got a chance to observe Boer Goats at the Goat Research Centre there. That showed me that one could earn handsomely by raising goats in the hilly areas,” he said, recalling how he got into goat farming. “I started my farm after receiving training from the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre.”
Ale was further helped by the Small Farmers’ Bank which awarded him a scholarship to go study in Israel for 11 months under the ‘Learn and Earn’ scheme. This helped him get an idea about improving goat breeds and from 2018, he has been refining the breed of his Khari goats by bringing Boer goats from abroad.
“I brought two Boer goats at a cost of Rs. 300,000 each from Australia and Africa and began producing hybrid Boers here in my farm,” Ale told The Rising Nepal. “I sell hybridised goats at a rate of Rs. 1,410 per kilogram for 50 per cent Boers, Rs. 1,800 per kilogram for 75 per cent Boers, Rs. 2,600 per kilogram for 87 per cent Boers and Rs. 3,000 per kilogram for pure Boer breeds.”
He shared that the demand had skyrocketed in recent times, taking his monthly earnings to around Rs. 150,000. This has also helped him provide employment to four other people. In addition to goats, he also grows different varieties of grass in 22 ropanis of land for the goats to eat.
Ale’s success has made him a role model for others wishing to take up goat farming. People wanting to raise goats of improved breeds regularly come to Ale’s farm on study visits.
Dr. Bal Kumar Shrestha, head of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre, said that Ale had become an inspiration for local youths. He also informed that Ale had received an incentive allowance of Rs. 250,000 from the centre for his exemplary business.
Ale has earned both fame and fortune and his community may look up to him today but back when he started, he was all alone. Many of his friends took the proverbial long road and went abroad for work. But now, they regret it and have started returning home, wishing to emulate what Ale has done.
“There are many possibilities in the agriculture sector. But, there are also many challenges. If we are able to balance the two with our skills, we will have no problem earning money,” Ale said, adding, “Nepal’s agriculture lags behind because of our traditional way of working. Now, educated people must enter this sector. Otherwise, we will be an agricultural country only in name which needs to import most of its agricultural products.”
He further stated that the traditional way of farming was also preventing farmers from boosting their livelihoods. He asked the government to ensure easy access to concessional loans and capacity building training and orient the people towards income-generating sectors in the country.
“The policy-level programmes implemented by the government should reach the farmers,” he said, suggesting the authorities to classify farmers and introduce targeted schemes. Ale also expressed the opinion that youths should be ready to commit eight hours of their day to the farm if they want to reap adequate rewards. “No country can be built without engaging its citizens in creative work and without the citizens sweating on their soil,” he expressed.
The Israeli Embassy in Nepal has also recognised Ale’s success and Ambassador Benny Omer has felicitated him. Ale informed that he had invested Rs. 3.5 million in raising goats till now.