Bringing Revolution In Livestock Development

Livestock Development Farm (LDF) at Lampatan, Pokhara is the only leading government undertaking livestock development farm in the western region of Nepal.

- LB Thapa

It has been working in the field of livestock development for the last five decades. The LDF was established by the help of New Zealand government in 1960. Since then the farm has been rendering its services uninterruptedly.

With the establishment of LDF, it started working on developing quality breeds of sheep. In the beginning, there were only sheep, so that local people began calling Livestock Development Farm as Bhedi Farm. Today everyone knows LDF by the name of Bhedi Farm.

The project had started crossbreeding local Barual sheep with exotic Polworth breed. However, the whole effort was not very successful as Baruwal sheep from high hills could not adjust in Pokhareli climate. As Barual sheep failed to acclimatize the Pokhareli climate, Kage, yet another native breed of sheep was introduced. This was a successful venture and the project was continued. In the meantime, the New Zealand assistance finally ended in 1964.

However, since 1969 the farm diversified its working area and included buffalos, pigs and poultry. Under the initiation of Gandaki Zone Agriculture Development Programme, GTZ, a German agency for technical co-operation, provided vital assistance to LDF from 1975 to 1980. With this aide, the farm could develop several important infrastructures and imported machinery & tools including special kinds of animals and birds for the research and breeding development purpose.