Milk price goes up in Taplejung

By CHANDRA PANDAK

Taplejung, Apr 22 : According to the Taplejung Dairy Entrepreneurs' Association, the price of milk has been increased by Rs. 20 to Rs. 80 per litre.

Trading of milk has started in the district headquarters Phungling Bazaar as per the increased price since Monday. Earlier, it was trading at Rs. 60 per litre in the Phungling market.

According to Krishna Kumar Basnet, coordinator of the association,  until the price hike, milk producers and entrepreneurs had been trading milk at Rs. 60 per litre with a very low profit.

Basnet said that they were compelled to increase the price as they had to bear loss time and again.

According to him, the price has been increased by Rs. 10 per litre each for milk producer and entrepreneur.

Even though the price of milk has been increased in the district, it is less than the national price set by the government, said Basnet.

Last time, the government set the price of milk at Rs. 86 per litre.

Many producers and businessmen demanded an increase in milk price in line with the government's price, he said, and added that the association has increased only by Rs. 20 per litre in an effort to provide some relief to the consumers. 

At present, half a dozen dairies are operating in Phungling Bazaar, where dairy products are not sufficiently available to meet the demand of consumers.

At present, about 2,000 litres of milk is traded daily while the demand is around 3,000 litres, according to the association.

According to Basnet, it is not possible to provide dairy products other than milk if there is demand from consumers.

Ghee, one of the dairy products, is also sourced from Panchthar and sold in the Phungling market.

He also informed that the purchase price and transportation of ghee would be Rs. 670 per kg and the traders would be selling it at Rs. 700 per kg.

Along with the rise in milk price, the prices of tea and coffee have also gone up in Phungling market.