By Dil Bahadur Singh, Doti, Dec. 17: Amid the nationwide imposed to curb the spread of novel coronavirus when many people lost their jobs or faced a downfall of their businesses, four youths of Bhogatan Phudsil Rural Municipality-5, Dhirkamandu in Doti decided to start a new business of rearing Kalij pheasants.

The 'Kalij Multi-purpose Agriculture Farm' established at Dhirkamandu in the midst of the nationwide lockdown by rearing 500 chickens of Kalij brought from Pokhara has started to show the results. The farm was brought into operation with a capital of around Rs. 2.2 million.

According to Dev Bahadur Bohara, Chairman of the farm, said, "Kalij weighing over 1 kg is currently being sold at Rs. 3,000." He added that most of the pheasants were sold from the farm itself.

"We are planning to install a hatchery machine to produce Kalij chickens and run a restaurant in Dipayal to sell Kalij meats," said Bohora, adding "Currently, four workers are deployed in the farm, but we will be increasing the number to 10 in the near future."

The directors of the farm said that they had not received grants from any authority to rear Kalij pheasants. Meanwhile, Kamal Bahadur Gadshila, Chairman of the Bogatan Phudsil Rural Municipality, said that the Rural Municipality was ready to provide aid for the promotion of commercial Kalij rearing.

Doti is the second district in Sudurpaschim State to initiate Kalij rearing after Kailai.