BHOJPUR: Laxmi Prasad Adhikari, who returned from foreign employment and established a goat farming business in his village, has become an example for young people considering going abroad again in search of work.
After spending about six years working in Malaysia, Adhikari returned home and took up commercial goat farming, earning around Rs 150,000 annually.
He started the business five years ago, intending to invest the money he had earned abroad and apply his skills and experience in his own village. Since then, goat farming has become an important source of income for him.
Adhikari, who has made agriculture and livestock farming his primary occupation, believes that local resources can provide good earning opportunities if used effectively.
“I started goat farming because I wanted to do something in my own village rather than go abroad for work again,” he said. “With hard work, it is possible to build a sustainable source of income at home.”
After returning from years of overseas employment, Adhikari chose entrepreneurship in his village over another stint abroad. He said the availability of grass, grazing land and a suitable local environment had made it easier to continue goat farming.
Arun Rural Municipality-7 has also been prioritising agriculture and livestock farming based on the area’s geography and potential. Ward Chairperson Kumar Thapa said the ward had been providing training, tools and equipment to farmers engaged in commercial agriculture and animal husbandry.
“We are working to help farmers turn locally available resources into productive enterprises,” Thapa said. “Encouraging young people returning from foreign employment to start businesses in their villages can create more employment and income opportunities.”
Locals believe that promoting commercial agriculture and livestock farming among returnee migrant workers could strengthen the rural economy, given the area’s agricultural potential.
Adhikari’s experience demonstrates how returnee migrants can establish sustainable livelihoods by using local resources and the skills they have acquired. In addition to raising goats, he cultivates fruits such as mangoes, lychees and avocados. He also uses manure from his goat farm to fertilise his fruit crops, making effective use of farm resources.
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