Mustang farmers are preparing to sell around 15,000 goats during the Dashain festival this year. The estimate comes from the District Veterinary Hospital and Animal Service Center, which coordinated with all five local municipalities in Mustang.
Doubling last year’s numbers
According to Dr. Lal Mani Aryal, head of the veterinary office, this year’s sale is nearly double compared to last year. In 2024, around 8,000 goats were sold from Mustang, while 4,000 more came from Dolpa, making a total of 12,000 goats exiting the district.
Local herd statistics
The office reports that Mustang has over 64,400 sheep and goats in total. Of these, 56,400 are goats, 5,426 are sheep, and 2,577 are other breeds of goats. The highest goat population is in the Waragung Free Zone, followed by Lo Gekar Damodar Kunda and Lomanthang municipality.
Festival season sales
Farmers plan to sell about 5,000 goats from Waragung and 2,500 from the other municipalities during Dashain and Tihar. Most are adult goats aged four years or more. Neighboring Dolpa is also expected to supply over 5,000 goats, bringing the total to around 20,000 goats moving through Jomsom toward Myagdi and other Mustang border areas.
Trade and imports
Last year, goats sold for between NPR 28,000 and 35,000 each. Mustang customs say importing goats from Tibet is allowed if proper quarantine documents are provided. The veterinary office verifies animal health before customs clearance.
