In celebration of the International Day of Cooperatives, WFO member organisation Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation Ltd (NACCFL) shares the story of Ms Dogari Tharu, whose journey shows how cooperative support can transform not only a single household, but an entire community.

Back in 2016, Ms Dogari Tharu, a smallholder farmer member of Purnima Small Farmers Agriculture Cooperative Limited, Basgadhi, Bardiya, with limited financial resources, aspired to improve her family’s livelihood through goat farming. However, like many rural farmers, she lacked the capital needed to establish a sustainable livestock enterprise. Recognising her potential, the cooperative provided her with an initial loan of USD 165, enabling her to purchase three goats and begin her goat farming business.

With technical guidance, regular advisory support, and access to cooperative services, Ms Tharu successfully managed and gradually expanded her herd. As her enterprise grew, the cooperative continued to support her by providing a livestock loan of USD 2,100 at a concessional interest rate of 7 percent, allowing her to invest in improved housing, quality breeding stock, feed, and better farm management practices.

Alongside livestock farming, Ms Tharu adopted an integrated farming approach, diversifying her farm by cultivating seasonal crops in rotation, including wheat, lentils, vegetables, mustard, and maize, enabling year-round production, improved soil fertility, and efficient use of farm resources. Livestock manure is recycled as organic fertiliser for crop production, while crop residues are used as feed for goats, creating a climate-resilient farming system that reduces production costs and enhances overall farm productivity.

Today, Ms Tharu owns 36 goats, transforming a modest investment into a profitable and sustainable livestock enterprise. The combined income from livestock and diversified crop production has significantly improved her household’s economic condition. She now generates annual savings of approximately USD 4,200, which has enabled her to purchase an additional 0.45 hectares of agricultural land to further expand her farming activities. Her increased income has also strengthened household food security, supported her children’s education, improved family health and nutrition, and enhanced her overall quality of life. Her success has inspired many other farmers in the community to adopt commercial livestock farming and integrated farming practices through the cooperative.

The cooperative’s contribution extends well beyond financial services. Members benefit from a comprehensive range of agricultural support, including savings and credit facilities, access to quality seeds and fertilisers, agricultural equipment, solar irrigation pumps, mini tillers, irrigation pipes, sprayers, plastic tunnels, livestock inputs, technical training, and financial literacy programmes. These integrated services have improved agricultural productivity, strengthened local enterprises, and enhanced farmers’ resilience to economic and climate-related challenges.

The cooperative also plays a vital role during emergencies. During floods and other natural disasters, members work collectively to support affected households by providing relief materials, quality seeds, improved livestock breeds, temporary loan repayment rescheduling, and assistance in constructing community sanitation facilities. These actions have strengthened solidarity, mutual trust, and cooperation among community members, helping farming families recover more quickly from crises.

Beyond economic development, the cooperative has fostered democratic governance, shared responsibility, and active community participation. Through inclusive decision-making and collective action, it has created opportunities for women and marginalised farmers to participate in local development, promoting social cohesion and community resilience.

Ms Dogari Tharu’s journey demonstrates how integrated cooperative support, including affordable finance, technical assistance, climate-smart farming practices, enterprise development, and market-oriented agriculture, can transform a smallholder farmer into a successful rural entrepreneur. Her story highlights the potential of integrating livestock with diversified crop production to build resilient livelihoods, improve food security, strengthen household incomes, and contribute to sustainable rural development.

Cover copy by ©NACCFL