The commercial goat rearing farmers have been provided with grants worth Rs 2 million in the rural areas of the Pokhara Metropolitan City. The programme is a part of encouraging farmers to promote goat farming, it is said.Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya provided Rs 500,000 each to four different groups as a part of goat rearing package. The metropolitan city is providing financial assistance to the farmers every year.

According to Chief of Livestock Service Section Nabaraj Adhikari, the recipients are Milijuli Goat Rearing Farmers’ Group of Pokhara-13, Sarangkot Goat Rearing Farmers’ Group of Pokhara-18, Laganshil Goat Rearing Farmers’ Group of Pokhara-32 and Begnas Goat Rearing Farmers’ Group of Pokhara-31.Adhikari added that 100 plus goat rearing farmers have been benefited from the grants.

Likewise, farmer Durga Bahadur Gurung of Mauja Hill Livestock Farm Pokhara was prized with the ‘Outstanding Farmer of the Year’ for his contribution to the development of pocket area for goat rearing and encouraging other farmers for the same.

On the occasion, Mayor Acharya said the metropolitan city would be made self-reliant on vegetable, milk, egg, meat and fruits in coming five years adding that the farmers would be made more commercial instead.
He said preparations are ongoing to run agriculture ambulance and manage cold stores to ensure market for the agricultural produces in the metropolitan city.