Rearing goat is popular among farmers in Tsirang district for both commercial and personal consumption. And in recent years, farmers of Barshong Gewog in Tsirang started rearing hybrid imported goats. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) financed the goat farming through its support to rural livelihoods and climate change adaptation project.
Beetal goats, the hybrid goats imported from India, are introduced to the farmers of Barshong Gewog in 2016 and 2017 through the ICIMOD’s project. Today, around 65 farmers from five chiwogs of the gewog are raising the goats. Globally, the goat is raised for dual purposes; meat and dairy. But in Bhutan, there is not much demand for dairy products.
Kharkha Laya Monger, a Farmer in Barshong Gewog shares how the ICIMOD’s project benefited the farmers. “I have earned some 60,000 from selling goats to farmers within Tsirang and Sarpang. It is easier for us to raise goats because goats eat almost every grasses, unlike other domestic animals,” he said.
“Goat rearing is profitable for us. But last year we had to bear losses due to sudden sickness to goats. But we are expecting a good income this year by selling crossbred goats,” added Nandalal Neopaney, also from Barshong Gewog.
Sachi Dhar Mishra, a goat Farmer from the same gewog is also making a good living by selling improved goat breeds. According to him, rearing imported goats are easier after sheltering it with the local goats, “through such rearing practices, we get improved breeds. We mainly use billy goats for meat production.”
From over 95 Beetal goats, in the beginning, over 30 goats could not survive due to variations in climatic condition and over ageing. Meanwhile, according to a record maintained by Barshong Gewog Livestock Extension Office, farmers from the gewog have sold over 100 young crossbred goats to Sarpang, Dagana and the rest of gewogs in Tsirang so far.
“We are crossbreeding imported goats with the native ones here. This has helped farmers to generate income through the sale of improved breed goats. Farmers from other districts take improved goats as a breeding billy to start goat farming. We sell live goats based on a live body weight basis and a kilogram fetches ngultrum 350,” said Ratna Bdr. Chuwan, the Livestock Extension Officer at Barshong Gewog in Tsirang.
Apart from goat farming, the ICIMOD’s project also introduced climate-resilient agriculture in the gewog. The project supported farmers with poly-house, winter water harvest, biogas and beekeeping among others to boost agricultural productions.
The project was phased out in 2017 and in absence of the project, Barshong Gewog Administration has been supporting the farmers to continue benefiting from the project.
“Our farmers are still benefiting from ICIMOD’s projects and are on track with the projects. For sustainability of the projects, gewog administration is proving supplementary budgets to our farmers,” said Santa Lal Powdel, the Barshong Gup.
According to livestock officials, the same breed goats were first raised in Lhamoi Dzingkha in Dagana around a decade ago, which was later shifted to Samrang in Samdrup Jongkhar. However, the hybrid goat is not much known to the rest of the farmers across the country so far.
Pema Tshewang
