BAGLUNG: Near the forested village of Sandkhola in Malika-5, Baglung Municipality, a quiet transformation is underway. What was once traditional animal husbandry passed down through generations has now become a source of sustainable income and empowerment for local women.
With support from Baglung Municipality, Heifer International, and the Nepal Gaja Development Foundation, women in the area have received training and seed capital to adopt systematic goat rearing practices. The ward office has also assisted with the mobilization of resources and provision of livestock feed.
Currently, 26 women from the Progressive Women’s Group in Sandkhola are raising goat kids in their household sheds. “We’ve been rearing goats for years, but now, with training, we’ve started systematic farming,” said Kopila Kisan, chairperson of the group.
“We’ve come together to generate income through goat farming.” She noted that the goat kids distributed this year were born from goats provided the previous year, which are now yielding returns.
To address the challenge of fodder, the women have also begun cultivating grass in the nearby community forest. Ward Chairperson Hari Prasad Sharma informed that around 70 ropanis of community forest land—previously covered in undergrowth—has been cleared and sectioned among 27 individuals to grow nutritious fodder.
“This area is cold and humid, so we’ve planted high-yield grass varieties to ensure year-round supply during the monsoon and winter,” he said.
Batuli Kisan, a group member, shared that grass is now being cultivated even in areas once used for strawberry farming. “By replacing wild bushes with grass seedlings, we can ensure a steady supply of fodder for our goats throughout the year,” she said. “Planting near the sheds allows us to tend to the grass like a personal garden.”
Grass varieties such as Kimbu, Super Napier, and Khanyu have been planted. The women are pleased that the program not only supported goat farming and shed construction but also provided training in sustainable fodder cultivation—strengthening the entire livestock value chain.
Comment