Brokers are active in procuring goats from Indian sources for the Nepali market and fixing prices arbitrarily, mostly just ahead of the festive season.[break]
“When the festive season comes Indian brokers tighten their grip on the Nepali market and fix the prices unnaturally high.This has caused a 20 percent price hike,” Deepak Thapa, chairman of Nepal Livestock Traders Association, told Republica.
Thapa claimed that the price of mutton will go down to Rs 550 per kg during the upcoming Dashain festival from around Rs 630- 650 at present if the government takes the initiative to control the monopoly of less than half a dozen Indian traders over the import and distribution of goats in the Nepali market.
Thapa said mutton would shoot up to Rs 700 per kg if the monopoly of Indian traders persists in the import and distribution of goats.
Though the price of live goats went up to Rs 375 per kg a few days back, it has fallen to Rs 310-315 because of low demand during the two-week Sohra Shradda rites that Hindus offer their departed ancestors. Last year, live goats sold at Rs 300 per kg.
“Due to lack of contact between Nepali traders and Indian goat breeders and the strong nexus of Indian traders with the limited number of Nepali traders and customs officials, the Indian traders exercise strong control over the goat market,” said Thapa.
According to him, some 80,000 head of goat and sheep are expected to enter the capital during the 10 days of the Dashain festival. Last year around 65,000 head of goat and sheep were brought to the capital.
Traders said some 40,000 goats are expected to come from Tibet during the festival. Similarly around 25,000 are sourced from local farmers. Traders are sourcing Indian goats from Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Traders are also importing around 15,000 sheep and mountain goat from Tibet to the capital for the festival season. Nepali traders also collect local goats from Salyan, Dang, Surkhet, Kohalpur, Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Nuwakot and Dhading. They said local goats cover at least 35 percent of the total domestic demand.
According to the Ministry of Agricultural Development, the population of goats has increased to 9.18 million during fiscal year 2010/11, up from 8.84 million recorded the earlier year.
During fiscal year 2010/11, Nepal imported 370,459 head of goat worth Rs 45.88 million and 29,167 sheep worth Rs 47 million from India.
To supplement the supply of goats, Nepal Food Corporation has announced it is procuring 3,000 goats during the Dashain festival.
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