Baglung, Feb 20 : Seventy firms involving in poultry and animal farming in Baglung district have been selected for grants given by the government under the campaign to promote small scale trade. The Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre, Baglung with assistances from the Gandaki provincial government has launched the campaign to promote small scale firms.    

The selected firms will get Rs 150,000 in grant each. To be eligible for the scheme, each farmer needs to grow 250 local chicken, 500 layer chickens and 1,000 broilers. Similarly, growing 15 adult goats, five adult pigs and 10 pigs grown for meat will be entitled to the scheme. Fifty percent grant will be provided to the 70 firms selected out of the total 269 applications, said Keshab Poudel, animal health officer at the Centre.

The drive has been implemented at Rayadanda in Baglung Municipality-11, Nisigaun in Nisikhola Rural Municipality and Lekhani in Kathekhola Rural Municipality, a pocket area for livestock.    

"We have reached out to farmers at their doorsteps with a regular but different agriculture programme. We have made programme as per demand of farmers," he said.    
A buffalo development programme has also been launched at Pala in Kathekhola Rural Municipality. Similarly, Rs 10,000 in incentive has been provided to the farmers who have grown calves of cow and buffalo born through artificial insemination for one year.