Milk farmers not getting payment for eight month

By Our Correspondent 

Gulariya (Bardiya), Sept. 3: Dairy farmers from Bardiya, Banke, and surrounding districts have not received payment for their milk for the past eight months, causing significant financial hardship. 

Many farmers, who rely on income from milk sales to manage their household expenses, are now facing difficulties due to this non-payment.

The Nepalgunj Milk Distribution Project (Banke) has not paid farmers since the month of Magh 2081 (January 2025), leaving farmers in both Banke and Bardiya in distress. 

Indra Prasad Luintel, a central member of the Dairy Producers' Cooperative Union, stated that the delay in payments has seriously affected the farmers. 

"It is heartbreaking that even when farmers, through their hard-earned labour, demand what is rightfully theirs, the state fails to deliver,” he said. 

Out of the 12 cooperatives in Bardiya, nine regularly supply milk to the Nepalgunj Milk Distribution Project. 

Pawan Kumar Yadav, Chairperson of the Dairy Producers' Cooperative Union in Bardiya, said that approximately Rs. 80 million is yet to be paid to farmers by the project and private dairy operators in the district alone.

“In some cooperatives, up to Rs. 7 million worth of milk payments are pending. Because the cooperatives themselves haven’t received the funds, they have been unable to pay the farmers,” he said. He also noted that private dairies have used the project’s failure to pay as an excuse to withhold payments as well.

Dilip Chaudhary, Head of the Distribution Project, assured that the dues up to the month of Falgun (February/March 2025) would be cleared within this month. He explained that the issue arose because the money collected from milk sales is deposited into the central government account, leading to delays.