Pachaljharana Rural Municipality in Kalikot district has managed ‘herder allowance’ to farmers of the rural municipality in a bid to encourage livestock farming. According to procedures to this effect passed by the rural municipality, farmers raising goats and sheep from 50 to 100 in number will be provided Rs 1,000 in allowance monthly and those raising goats and sheep over 100 in number Rs 2,000.

The allowance amounts will be deposited in a bank account of the concerned farmer, said Birendra Bahadur Bam, chief of the livestock branch of the rural municipality. “The aim of the incentive is to attract farmers to livestock farming.

This has increased interest of farmers in livestock farming,” he said. There are 65 farmers in the rural municipality raising from 50 to 100 goats and sheep and only six farmers raising over 100 goats and sheep, according to the rural municipality. So far, the rural municipality has released Rs 900,000 in allowance to the farmers in the current fiscal year, 2021/22, said Khadka Raj Sejuwal, chair of the rural municipality.