The Department of Livestock Services has intensified health inspections of animals brought to Kathmandu Valley for meat during Dashain and prohibited the sale of sick animals.

Veterinary teams are inspecting goats, mountain goats, buffaloes and fish at 11 locations, including Kalanki, Tukucha, Sallaghari, Lokanthali, Chalnakhel, Balaju Bypass, Sukedhara, and Chandragiri. Inspections started from Ghatasthapana (October 11) and will continue through Nawami, the ninth day of Dashain. Teams are working morning and evening shifts.

Director General at the department Umesh Dahal said veterinarians have examined 6,800 goats, 1,500 mountain goats, and 100 buffaloes over the past three days. They had also inspected 41 tonnes of fish.

Healthy sheep, goats, mountain goats and buffaloes are marked with green paint on their horns, while exhausted or sick animals, and those suspected of having a fever or disease, are marked red. The colour-coding system is intended to help consumers identify healthy animals before buying them.

“First, we examine the animals’ external condition. We check whether they are healthy and active, and whether they have a runny nose or diarrhoea,” said Dahal. “We don’t allow visibly sick animals to be sold. We keep them separately for further examination and treatment. Only after they recover are they cleared for sale.”

The department has designated separate areas in markets for animals suspected of being ill. Teams use rapid diagnostic kits where necessary and send samples to laboratories for further testing. Samples have been collected from 11 suspected cases, and testing is under way.

Dahal said preliminary inspections had found no reason for consumers to panic.

“Based on our inspections so far, there is no cause for concern in the markets,” he said, adding that Nepal was self-sufficient in goats and buffaloes and did not need to import them.

Poultry and pigs must be accompanied by health certificates from commercial farms before being taken to slaughterhouses. Authorities conduct additional inspections when necessary.

Dahal urged consumers to choose animals bearing green markings and inspect them carefully before buying them. “Pick animals with bright eyes that are alert and active. Don’t buy animals with excessive saliva or nasal discharge, swollen-looking abdomens, sluggish behaviour, or difficulty standing,” he said.

Kalanki’s livestock trading centre, the largest livestock market in Kathmandu, estimates that the Valley consumes 80,000 to 100,000 live goats during the two weeks of Dashain. Traders estimate sales exceed Rs3 billion during the period.

Dahal said supplies remained adequate despite earlier transport difficulties. Markets including Kalanki, Tukucha, and Lokanthali have sufficient stock of goats, and no shortage is expected this Dashain, according to him.

Meanwhile, rising meat prices have renewed concerns about affordability. The state-owned Food Management and Trading Company, which previously sold goats and mountain goats at subsidised prices, has not resumed sales. It stopped the programme last year following the Gen Z protests and has again opted out, citing the risk of transport disruptions caused by road obstructions.