On the 22nd of last month, an Asiana chartered flight landed at Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
It has been 4 hours since we left Incheon Airport.
However, the passengers who got off the plane were 42 cows, not people.
The Vice Minister of Agriculture and Agriculture Development of Nepal came out to meet me at the airport.
The Korean ambassador to Nepal also rushed to the scene and treated the cow with utmost respect.
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Korean Dairy Cows First Aid to Nepalese Dairy Farmers
The cows from Korea are 5 to 6 month old heifers.
Only calves with excellent pedigrees were strictly selected from dairy farms and organizations across the country.
This is the first overseas support for Korean dairy cows.
The shoulders of heifers are just as heavy.
It has a mission to develop Nepal's dairy industry.
The first task is to adapt well to an unfamiliar and watery place.
There are 7.5 million dairy cows raised in Nepal.
The dairy industry accounts for 9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, low milk production is a problem.
A Nepalese cow produces 3,000 kg of milk annually, which is only one-third of that of Korean cows.
The milk yield of dairy cows in Korea is between 9,000 and 10,000 kg.
As of 2021, it ranks fifth in the world.
Israel ranked first (12,512kg), followed by the United States (11,119kg), Canada (10,852kg), and Spain (10,786kg).
The place where the dairy cow will live is Sindulji district, 150 km away from Kathmandu.
The Nepalese government is developing it as a pilot dairy farming complex.
On the 25th of last month, three days after arriving in Nepal, the dairy cows completed quarantine and moved to Sindul-ji and were sent to livestock farms in pairs.
The cramped and shabby barn was demolished and the newly built new barn welcomed the cow.
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Mr. Dal Kumari Tapa, who received a dairy cow as a gift, said, “Cows from Korea will produce a lot of milk, and through this, they will create household income. I'm happy," he said.
Semen for artificial insemination is also provided for excellent calf birth
To ensure that they live well in Nepal, the cows received health checkups and vaccinations at the quarantine facility before leaving Korea.
I also brought feed, minerals, and vitamins that I used to eat in Korea.
In addition, animal medicines are also supported, and only the location has changed, and they will be fed and raised as they were managed in Korea.
Cows can become pregnant when they are 15 months old.
Semen for artificial insemination was also brought in from Korea to give birth to excellent offspring.
This is the first time that Korean dairy cows have gone abroad.
It has been 70 years since the dairy industry was established with the help of Heifer International, an American private relief agency after the Korean War.
Korea, which has become an advanced country in dairy farming by receiving foreign aid, has become a country that provides dairy farming aid to countries in need.
Heffer International sent livestock to Korea on a total of 44 occasions from 1952 to 1976, when the Korean War was in full swing.
897 dairy cows, 58 bulls, goats, pigs, chickens, etc., amounting to 3,200.
1.5 million bees also came to Korea to restore the ecosystem.
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Heffer Korea Leads Aid to Nepal for Dairy Cows
Heffer International is an international NGO founded in 1944.
It was the first to initiate an international relief cooperation project through livestock.
In Korea, Heffer Korea was established in September 2020 and led the campaign to send cows to Nepal.
Lee Hye-won, CEO of Heffer Korea, said, "Heffer International has a mission to help developing countries generate livelihood income through livestock and to eradicate poverty through it. I think it is time to give back the support we received in the past." said.
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Starting with 42 cows that arrived in Nepal on the 22nd of last month, 101 heifers and calves of dairy cows went to Nepal on 4 occasions until the 28th.
Newly built fumigated wooden crate cages for transport by aircraft.
To keep the cows from getting stressed, the temperature inside the aircraft was set at 12.8-23.9 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was maintained at 40-60%.
Even the carbon dioxide concentration was carefully controlled.
A professional veterinarian accompanied the cow in case of suffocation during the flight.
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Ministry of Agriculture and Food continues to support dairy farming in Nepal
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs also decided to continue helping Nepal's dairy industry through ODA.
It has decided to provide various support such as breeding management through mobile apps, dispatching dairy experts, and installing biogas facilities.
In addition, if they wish in Nepal, they plan to allow Nepali workers to learn breeding skills at domestic dairy farms.
Heffer International's livestock support business model is the spirit of 'Passing on the Gift'.
When a cow gives birth for the first time in a farmhouse that receives dairy cows, the calf is handed over to the neighbors.
It is in the hope that the chain effect of sharing will spread to the local community by imparting breeding skills and knowledge of dairy farming together.
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Residents of 50 farmhouses in Nepal, which received 101 Korean dairy cows, say their primary goal is to spread dairy cow breeding to 300 farmhouses through relay donations to their neighbors.
It is hoped that the good influence will transform Nepal's dairy industry.
In the future, Nepalese cows will be sent to another country.
We look forward to the good news that dairy farming donations can help eradicate poverty and become the basis for a happy life.
At the beginning, there is a Korean dairy cow who has to leave her homeland and overcome an unfamiliar environment in a foreign country.