Nepal importing 20,000 sheep, goats for Vijaya Dashmi

Nepalese traders are set to import at least 20,000 sheep and mountain goats worth NRs 300 million from China this year for the Vijaya Dashmi festival.
The traders, who have reached Dhongwasen in Tibet, have already acquired permission from the District Livestock Office in Mustang in northwest Nepal to bring in the livestock into the country, said an official.
Every year, some 30,000 goats are sold during the period.
Last year a total of 25,000 sheep and mountain goats were imported from Tibet to the country from this trading point.
The number of sheeps and goats imported from Tibet has dropped this year "due to strict monitoring" on the border, allowing only traders to go to Mustang, the official said.

Traders from Chhoser, Lomanthang, Charang, Surkhang, Ghami and Tchhonhup of Upper Mustang will sell the animals at Myagdi, Baglung and Pokhara.

The livestock worth NRs 300 million are being imported into the country for the festival season, according to the District Livestock Office, Mustang.
Farmers of Mustang have locally reared 62,000 sheep and mountain goats, officials said.
The sheep and mountain goats are likely to be sent across the country including the capital Kathmandu from mid- September.
The District Livestock Office has set up service centres in Mustang district for health check-up of the imported animals.