Sindhuli, Nov. 7
Guna Kumari Ghimire of Kamalamai Municipality – 5, Gaiyatar in
Sindhuli district is engrossed in the rearing of her new Holstein cow as much
as she enjoys teaching in the local high school.
A member of local Gaiyadevi Women Entrepreneurship Self-help
Group, she received a Korean breed of Holstein cow last year. Her group was
formed in December 2021.
Another family of Ganga Maya and Krishna Bahadur Ghalan of
Rajapani of Kamalamai-5 is also busy in rearing the cow.
Fifty-one farmers of Kamalamai Municipality's ward 5 and 6
are busy in learning and implementing new ways of cow husbandry. The Milky Way
Project that introduced the Korean Holstein cows in Kamalamai is not only
training them in keeping cows in modern ways but also supporting in upgrading
their sheds in order to make them healthy and comfortable for the cows.
The project is jointly implemented by Sindhuli Integrated
Development Services (SIDS) and local community in economic and technical
support from the Kamalamai Municipality and Heifer International Nepal.
The project has brought 100 Holstein cows that produce 10,000
litres milk over each milking period and eight high-fertility bulls from South
Korea to Nepal in 2022/23. Of those cattle, nine heifers and six bulls were
sent to National Livestock Birthing Office (NLBO) in Pokhara of Kaski district,
one bull and one heifer to NLBO in Lahan, Siraha district, and four heifers to
Cattle Genetic Resource Centre in Jiri of Dolakha. Likewise, three heifers were
sent to National Livestock Birthing and Genetic Research Centre, Khumaltar,
Lalitpur and four to National Cow Research Programme, Rampur in Chitwan.
Remaining 80 heifers were distributed to 51 families in
Kamalamai Municipality. The Milky Way Project aims to develop a model dairy
village here. "These two villages in Kamalamai will work as a national
nucleus for new methods of cow raising. Each family will hand over the first
calf to other members as a gift," said Haewon Lee, Executive Director of
Heifer International, Korea.
Urmila Pokharel of Gaiyatar, who is keeping two heifers,
said that the project has enhanced her confidence in livestock farming and she
could now hope for better future.
Each cow can produce 32 litres of milk on an average in a
day for a year. Meanwhile, the project also aims to increase the milk
production capacity of the local cows.
Four women entrepreneurship groups were formed including 109
members to implement the project.
The farmers are waiting for their cows to deliver calves
next year. New cows have also helped to keep their shed clean. "We have
applied bio-safety methods to keep our cattle safe from various insects and
diseases. Technicians of Heifer International are helping us in implementing
sustainable ways of bio-safety," said Usha Karki, a member of Upper
Ratpani Women Entrepreneurship Group.
She has been using limestone and sprays of animal-friendly
chemicals. Usha has also been using scratching and combing tools and fan as
well.
"We are getting aware about
various animal diseases which we didn't know of before. This will help us in
keeping other varieties of livestock safe and healthy as well," she said.
According to Bibek Koirala, a
technician working for the project, said that the entrepreneurship group will
take up the matter after the project stops providing the facility and support.
"So far, there is no problem
of any disease in the cows that were imported from Korea except they don't eat
sometimes," he said.
Haewon informed that the project
has been offering rigorous technical support to the farmers while a WhatsApp
group is created including doctors from Korea who can provide better solutions
in case of health problems in the cows. "Every problem will be addressed
in time," she said.
Ganga Maya recalled the initial
days of brining the cow in her shed. They were like wild animals and very
difficult to tame but now they have become a part of our family, she said.
Women here are excited about
keeping new breed of livestock in their shed and hoping for better economic
benefits in the near future. Meanwhile, as each family will pass the first calf
to another member of the group, there will be more farmers and more production
of milk.
While the members can also sell
the second or third calf from their cows, the project wants them to keep the
calves with them. "We want them to be entrepreneurs. A cooperative will be
formed including the 500 families that are engaged in the entrepreneurship
groups. It will be a nucleus hub for Holstein cows in Nepal," said Dr. Narayan
Prasad Sharma, Programme Manager of the Milky Way.
To facilitate the farmers in
selling the milk, the project is working with the municipality in creating a
chilling and processing centre.
The project aims to create a
value chain for the milk produced here. A TMR (Total Mix Ration) plant
establishment is in the planning. TMR is considered as the efficient way to
provide nutrients to dairy cattle.
Likewise, bulls will be sent to Bull Stations run by the
government. According to Dr. Sharma, the project also targets to produce 500,000
to 700,000 doses of semen.
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