The Asian Development Bank this week approved a $20 million loan to Nepal to improve levels of food security, nutrition, incomes and employment from livestock production and small-scale livestock related enterprises for 164,000 families in 48 districts of Nepal. The main focus is on developing livestock production, processing and marketing in 22 districts.

The livestock subsector is one of the key entry points for programs to reach the rural poor and, if correctly oriented to small animals, its development favours disadvantaged groups, such as women and poor farmers, says Brian Fawcett, ADB Principal Project Economist. Livestock accounts for 31 percent of agricultural GDP.