Govt focusing on increasing production, not consumption

BANEPA, Sept 1:

The government has not bothered to launch programs to increase consumption of dairy products even though milk production is increasing with every passing year.

Dairy producers are increasing frequency of milk holiday as demand for dairy products is not growing in line with the growth in milk production.

Different government programs like artificial insemination and forage missions encouraged thousands of youth to start dairy farming. An estimated 500,000 farmers are involved in dairy farming. But the increasing frequency of milk holiday has discouraged them. Some have vented ire against the government by dumping milk in the streets.

State-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) has enforced milk holiday twice a week. Similarly, private dairy operators have also said that they were not in a position to purchase milk throughout the week.

Basudev Upadhyay, a cow farmer from Patlekhet, Kavre, said there is lack of synergy between plans and activities of government bodies" "Project for Agriculture Commercialization and Trade (PACT) as well as other programs focus on increasing milk production, but state-owned DDC does not purchase milk from farmer"," he said, adding" "If the milk holiday is enforced, we will have no money to buy fodder and fee"."

Farmers like Upadhyaya said they cannot stop milking cattle just because dairy producers are not buying milk" "If milking is not done regularly, our cattle will get sic"," Upadhyay added. He also said many youths, who had started dairy farming after returning from foreign employment, are in a difficult situation as they are not getting buyers for their milk."

"We have been selling milk to private dairies after DDC enforced milk holiday. But private dairies have also announced that they would enforce milk holiday so"n," said Upadhya". "We are in a really difficult situati"n."

Pradip Maharjan, president of Dairy Industries Association of Nepal, said the government should explore markets for dairy products as well as launch different programs to increase consumption of dairy product". "The government should encourage Nepal Police and Nepal Army to consumer fresh milk and dairy products produced by local dairy fir"s," he added.

Dairy operators claim that the market is seeing surplus of 40,000 liters of milk every day. Nepal's per capita milk consumption stands at mere 52 liters, compared to global average of around 100 liters.

Source: republica