Chitwan, Oct. 16 -- The Dashain shopping rush is building, with markets filling up as families prepare for Nepal's biggest festival. For livestock traders, this is usually one of the busiest times of the year, when demand for goats and Himalayan goats, known as chyangra, from the high hills and mountains surges. But in Chitwan, sales have fallen short of traders' expectations, dampening hopes for a brisk festival season.

At the Aaptari livestock market in Narayangadh, traders who brought animals from Jumla and other districts are concerned about the slow pace of sales. Around 60 goats and chyangra were sold on Wednesday, compared with more than 100 on a typical day, according to Raju Adhikari, acting chair of the Ganesh Tole Development ...