Govt. urges bodies concerned to clear dues of dairy farmers immediately

Kathmandu, June 27: The government has directed the bodies concerned to clear around Rs 3 billion dues of dairy farmers till the end of the current fiscal year.     

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development held discussions with Nepal Dairy Association, an umbrella organization of dairy industries, today and issued directive to clear the dues immediately.     

Dairy farmers have been facing problems after they did not get their payment of milk sold to different dairy industries operated from private sector since long.     

Information Officer at the Ministry, Mahanand Joshi, shared that the dues of the dairy farmers should be cleared till last of the current fiscal year as such act would affect milk production and its market supply.     

The government has been providing different types of discount, as well as technical and constructive support to the Dairy Association which has been operating different types of programmes in all provinces to increase consumption of milk and dairy products.     

The Dairy Development Corporation has already provided around Rs 900 million, the dues of farmers till Poush 20, 2081 and a process has been forwarded to clear the remaining dues, he added.     

The Ministry has stated that it has been providing subsidy support to farmers for livestock and agricultural insurance, seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural equipment.     

Various farmers' organizations have also been demanding that the payments for dairy farmers be made available on time.     

Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, the president of the National Peasants' Coalition, stated that the dairy industry, which makes profits by producing various dairy products from milk produced by farmers, should be strictly monitored by the government to ensure that it pays the amount due to the farmers.(RSS)