Rasuwa farmer finds success in traditional yak rearing
After returning from Malaysia, a Rasuwa farmer has built a successful yak-rearing business, proving that traditional agriculture can be a profitable alternative to foreign employment.
In a shift from the growing trend of youth migration, a 34-year-old farmer in Rasuwa has found economic stability by professionalizing his family's traditional yak-rearing business. Pasang Sherpa, a resident of Nagung in Gosaikunda Rural Municipality-6, turned to the trade after a three-year stint in Malaysia failed to meet his financial expectations.
According to reports from Setopati, Lokaantar, and Ratopati, Sherpa began his venture with 10 yaks inherited from his family. Over the past 11 years, he has expanded his herd to 60 animals, which he estimates are worth approximately Rs 4.5 million. His operation supplies dairy products to the state-run Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) in Kathmandu.
Economic viability at home
Sherpa explains that the yaks produce milk for six months of the year, generating a turnover of about Rs 1.1 million during that period. After accounting for annual expenses, he reports a net profit of roughly Rs 500,000. To support the business, he has constructed a shed on 13 ropanis of land in Nagung. The enterprise also received a boost three years ago through a Rs 700,000 grant from the Gosaikunda Rural Municipality.
Local officials have lauded Sherpa’s commitment to domestic entrepreneurship. Gosaikunda Rural Municipality Chairperson Kaisangnurpu Tamang described him as an exemplary farmer, while Ward-6 Chairperson Karma Dawa Sidar Waiba noted that Sherpa’s success serves as a model for other local youth. Waiba suggested that if more young people engaged in such domestic ventures, it could help mitigate the trend of local communities becoming depopulated due to migration.
Sherpa, who credits his success to experience gained through his family's long-standing history in the trade, expressed a desire to pass the profession on to the next generation. He maintains that with hard work and proper management, traditional occupations can provide a sustainable income, offering a viable alternative to seeking employment abroad.