By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Apr. 2: With the use of special logo for vehicles carrying milk, means of transporting milk can now ply on road without any obstruction.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has introduced the special logo for smooth supply of milk across the country giving priority like an ambulance service.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the logo amidst a function last Thursday.
“No one should be allowed to obstruct such vehicles with special logo provided by the government and priority given to them like ambulance,” said Bidur Rai, director of NDDB.
There were many problems in transporting milk during the strike and bandha even if the government has listed milk in necessary goods and its supply, he said, adding that this logo is expected to end those problems and ensure the supply of milk smoothly.
He claimed that Nepal is the first and only country in the world to provide such facility in milk transportation.
“We demanded with the government to allocate budget for the promotion of logo and its effective implementation,” he said.
The board meeting of NDDB has approved the working procedures of logo, he said, adding that they are ready to inform the security personal about this rule which has been made mandatory for all vehicles transporting milk.
He said that distribution of the logo has now started with the approval of the logo and procedures related to its use.
"We have used new methods to strengthen the milk distribution system. The process of distributing the logo has started,” he said.
According to him, a committee has been formed under the coordination of NDDB where members from the government, Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), Nepal Dairy Association (NDA) and Dairy Industries Association (DIA) to provide logo based on application received from the milk transporters.
He said that it will help in the marketing and sale of about 1.5 million litres of milk distributed across the country through the formal system daily. Annual milk production stands at 2.3 million tonnes across the country
The collection of milk stood at 17 per cent from the formal sector and 33 per cent by the informal sector.
Rai said the logo was made using the first letter of the English word for dairy, 'D', a dot of milk, a symbol for a cow and an essential colour, blue.
He said that the symbolic logo would be stuck on every vehicle transporting milk.
President of Nepal Dairy Association (NDA) Radha Krishna Sapkota hoped that the problem faced by the entrepreneurs while transporting milk and milk products till date would end after the application of the new logo.
Farmers and milk entrepreneurs had faced huge loss during the lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19 due to the obstruction by the local administration and police, he said, adding that it was a must to make farmers, entrepreneurs, local administration and security personnel aware of the logo and its message for smooth supply of milk.
Despite the belief that milk should be transported at a certain temperature within certain time, he said that such arrangement had been made as the milk is spoiled due to obstructions at different times and the farmers are also affected.