4.2.4. Poultry

The poultry sector is one of the fastest-growing and probably the most commercialized livestock sub-sector in Nepal, and this sector alone contributes to the national GDP by around 3.5% [32]. Poultry production in Nepal consists of commercial broiler and layer farms, as well as village or backyard poultry production, where birds are raised in a small number in the scavenging or backyard system, while exploiting all sorts of inputs from the farmhouse itself [32]. Poultry farming in Nepal involves both commercial and native stocks, and their production shows an increasing trend [33]. A significant portion of the total poultry population consists of native breeds. Some of the documented indigenous chicken breeds of Nepal are Sakini (normal feather), Ghatikhuile (naked neck), and Pwakhulte (frizzled feather) [33]. Although the poultry sub-sector includes chickens, ducks, pigeons, and other kinds of birds kept under various production systems, the chicken population dominates by far [32]. The national population of fowl has gradually increased (~68 million in 2015 compared with ~21 million in 2001) along with a significant increase in the total chicken meat production (~55,000 tons in 2015 compared with ~14,000 tons in 2001) [20]. Chicken meat constitutes roughly 17% of total meat production, representing more than 99% of the total poultry meat production [20].

Regarding egg production, with increasing farm sizes, a higher mass of egg production and lower feed conversion rate have been observed, indicating a higher profit margin [34]. Sakini is a major native breed contributing to egg production in different regions of Nepal [35]. Support for a continued rise in commercial poultry production, improvement of the health of poultry species, and establishment of efficient marketing channels are some of the key issues the Nepalese governmen<sup>t</sup> should prioritize in the future [36].

#### *4.3. Wool Production in Nepal*

In Nepal, no formal marketing channels exist for wool, unlike other livestock products, and farmers in different agro-ecological zones produce and utilize locally produced wool at a low scale. Although wool is recognized as a potentially valuable animal product, it has not been a major focus in the Nepalese livestock or agricultural policies, and Nepali pashmina or carpet industries rely on Tibetan wool producers due to insufficient local wool production or low wool quality [37]. Nepalese native sheep breeds have low wool productivity [38]. The production trends for wool in Nepal have, in fact, been stagnant during the past decades (60,9102 vs. 59,4312 kg in 2002 and 2017, respectively; Figure S1B) [15]. Thus, the Nepalese carpet industries rely on imported raw wool for wool-based products. Sheep are important livestock species for both meat and wool, particularly in the mountainous regions. Thus, focusing on improvements in wool, in addition to meat production from sheep, would be a sound priority when formulating regional livestock policies [39], to improve living conditions and avoid depopulation of the mountainous regions in Nepal. To

overcome the challenge of low wool production and quality in the sheep industry, strategic efforts should target a range of managemen<sup>t</sup> practices, including breeding, harvesting, pre-processing of wool, and animal nutrition for general improvements in sheep (re-) productive performance.
