Forty-year-old Bhim Bahadur Thapa of Chitapol VDC-9 in the district used to hardly manage his four-member family four years ago. Nobody in the village would lend him money as he did not have anything to pawn as collateral.
With a calf he received three years ago under the Buffalo Calf Raising Programme initiated by the District Development Committee, Thapa now feels empowered and economically independent. “I can borrow as much as Rs 30,000 just like that. I have a buffalo that is worth more than Rs 100,000,” he said, “I am making a good money selling milk every day.”
Thapa bought a calf for Rs 7,500, for which he received Rs 5,000 from Local Development Fund (LDF) and added Rs 2,500 from his pocket. The calf has grown up and gave birth to a calf three months ago. Now, he sells up to 10 litres of milk every day.
Twenty households in the VDC, located seven kilometres east of Bhaktapur city, have been benefitted by the programme. The VDC had allocated Rs 100,000 of the LDF in 2011. Each interested family could borrow Rs 5,000 from the fund. VDC secretary Vinod Kumar Acharya said each buffalo now costs over Rs 80,000.
Local people preferred buffalo to cow as the risk factor is higher in raising a cow. “If the cow gives birth to a male calf, we can neither sell it nor keep it, which is not the case with buffalo,” said Ranu Thapa, 29, a local resident.
“This has sent a positive message to our local community and it is a sign to revive animal husbandry in the village,” VDC Secretary Acharya said.
According to locals, the VDC these days supplies 600 litres of milk a day. A litre of milk costs Rs 70 in local market. The supply is expected to double next year.
Meanwhile, the LDF has also provided Rs 15,000 to local youth Bhuwan Khadka, who is undergoing training on animal health at Banepa-based Technical and Vocational School, so that he could address the health issues of the animal in the village. He is set to complete his training next month. “Once I am done with my course, I will work full-time,” Khadka said.
Rajan Sharma, LDF executive secretary at the District Development Committee, said the programme has two positive effects. “This has helped uplift the economic status of local people and fulfil the increasing need of milk in the Valley.”
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues, crime, and human interest stories since 2011. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
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