Authorities keep mom on dues of milk farmers

By Our Correspondent,Bharatpur, Feb. 10: Authorities responsible for ensuring the regular payment to the farmers for their milk have failed to provide a clear plan or solution.

During the ongoing "First National Dairy Expo" in Bharatpur, the authorities including the government-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) and private dairy companies did not say anything clearly to pay the farmers.

In a panel discussion session of the three-day expo, Rajendra Prasad Adhikari, acting Deputy General Manager of the DDC stated that they were unable to pay farmers without receiving a loan or subsidy from the government. 

He said, "We can pay the farmers only  if we receive government loans or if we can sell the stock both domestically and internationally."

Similarly, Rajkumar Dahal, President of the Dairy Industry Association, said that it was impossible to clear all due payments to farmers. 

According to them, the issue is not intentional but rather due to the inability to sell the existing stock. 

Amar Bahadur Kunwar, President of the Central Dairy Cooperative Association, revealed that farmers are yet to receive approximately Rs. 2.5 billion from both the DDC and private dairy industries.

During the discussion, farmers complained that the main reason for the inability to pay milk payments was the incompetence of leadership and policymakers. 

Farmer Pradeep Timalsina pointed out that problems had arisen due to the illegal import of powdered milk and dairy products from India by local industrialists.

 He said, "If the import of powdered milk from India was stopped, there would be no 'milk holiday' in Nepal, and farmers would receive their payments in time."

Krishna Prasad Sapkota, President of the Gangangar Dairy Producers' Cooperative, said that cooperatives had to take loans from banks to pay farmers after the dairy industries failed to make payments.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Yadav, executive director of the National Dairy Development Board, stated that they have been working on coordination and collaboration to resolve farmers' payment issues.

Kishor Bagale, chairperson of the District Milk Production Corporative, Chitwan, said despite many problems in dairy farming such an exhibition would help extend the dairy markets nationally and internationally.