Karnali providing cash incentives to promote sheep, yak farming

Sheep and yak farming is on the decline in mountainous districts of Karnali Province. As farmers abandon their herds, yaks are facing extinction, and sheep numbers are also decreasing. This decline has directly impacted the livelihoods of people living in these mountainous areas. 

To address the issue, the Karnali Province Government has adopted a policy to encourage farmers to engage in commercial sheep and yak farming. The provincial government has begun offering various incentives to farmers in mountainous districts to promote commercial sheep and yak farming. According to the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, this initiative aims to support and expand yak and sheep farming by encouraging farmers.

The ministry has begun providing cash incentives to farmers who are into sheep and yak farming. In the previous fiscal year alone, the provincial government distributed Rs 8.3m in incentives to sheep and yak farmers.

Ministry Spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Kathayat said that the ministry has adopted a policy of promoting commercial sheep and yak farming by providing cash incentives. “Farmers with more than 50 sheep or 10 yaks are eligible for these incentives,” he said. “Each farmer receives Rs 18,000 annually, which is deposited directly into their accounts in two installments.”

According to Kathayat,the province government began providing incentives to address concerns about the declining numbers and potential extinction of sheep and yaks. In the last fiscal year, the ministry distributed Rs 8.3m to 463 sheep farmers and 41 yak farmers.

Farmers in Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Mugu, Kalikot, Jajarkot, and Rukum West are the targeted beneficiaries of these incentives. Sheep and yak farming has been a primary occupation for people in these mountainous districts for generations, but interest in this traditional profession has waned in recent years due to its lack of commercial viability.

The provincial government hopes that commercial sheep and yak farming will improve farmers’ livelihoods and boost the province's income. Sheep are raised for meat and wool, while yaks are primarily kept for milk. Yak tails, which are valued for their use in religious ceremonies, also provide some income for farmers.

Karnali exports farm products worth Rs 4.11bn

Karnali Province exported agricultural and livestock products worth Rs 4.11bn in the fiscal year 2023/24.

According to the ministry, fruits, honey, and spices worth Rs 2.26bn were exported from the province during the previous fiscal year. Additionally, livestock products, including goats, milk, fish, traditional woolen blankets, and chhurpi (hardened cheese), contributed Rs 1.84bn.

Minister for Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, Binod Kumar Shah, said that the export of farm products from the province is gradually increasing. “We plan to invest more in agriculture and support farmers to make the province self-reliant,” he added.