A dairy cow sent from South Korea to Nepal in December 2022 has successfully given birth to a calf. (Image courtesy of Heifer Korea)
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant development for international agricultural aid, a dairy cow sent from South Korea to Nepal in December 2022 has successfully given birth to a calf, marking a first for both the donation of dairy cows from Korea to another country and for the birth of a calf from a Korean cow overseas.
The non-profit organization Heifer Korea announced that the cow, part of the ‘Send 101 Dairy Cows to Nepal’ initiative, gave birth recently. The cow, named ‘Tosil’, was donated by Soonyoung Farm in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, and became pregnant through artificial insemination in May last year, delivering a healthy female calf after approximately 280 days.
Expressing gratitude towards Korea for the support, the Nepalese farming family named the calf ‘Kamsa’, short for “thank-you” in Korean. The calf will be raised alongside its mother and, once weaned, will be passed on to another impoverished farming household in the vicinity to help improve their livelihood.
The initiative involved collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Seoul Dairy Cooperative, and other organizations, including sending artificial insemination experts and veterinarians to Nepal to ensure the successful delivery and raising of the calf.
The ‘Send 101 Dairy Cows to Nepal’ project symbolizes South Korea’s transformation from a recipient to a donor nation in dairy farming. (Image courtesy of Heifer Korea)
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has been instrumental in providing education and facilities to local farmers in Nepal to ensure the proper care and breeding of Korean dairy cows.
The ‘Send 101 Dairy Cows to Nepal’ project symbolizes South Korea’s transformation from a recipient to a donor nation in dairy farming, reflecting its journey from producing less than 10 liters of milk per cow per day 50 years ago to ranking fifth in terms of milk-producing countries in the world with an average yield of 33 liters per cow per day.
South Korea, once a recipient of livestock aid during the Korean War, has now taken a step forward in contributing to the development of the dairy sector in Nepal, where dairy farming accounts for 9% of the GDP, but the annual milk yield per cow is only a third of that in Korea.
With 74 of the 101 cows currently pregnant, Heifer Korea anticipates further contributions to Nepal’s dairy farming industry as more calves are expected to be born in the coming months.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
