Bagmati earns Rs. 15M per month from milk sales

By Anil ParajuliHetauda, Feb. 14: Around Rs. 15 million flows into Bagmati Rural Municipality in eastern Makwanpur every month from milk sales.

About 6,500 litres of milk are collected and sold daily within the rural municipality, generating significant monthly income locally.

“About 6,500 litres of milk are being collected daily within the rural municipality, and nearly Rs. Rs. 15 million enters into the municipality every month from milk sales,” said Kaman Singh Pakhrin, spokesperson for Bagmati Rural Municipality.

The rural municipality has invested Rs. 70 million as seed capital to promote milk production, while nearly Rs. 10 million has been spent to establish a moisture centre. 

A total of 761 farmers have benefited from the seed capital provided by the rural municipality. 

Spokesperson Pakhrin said that a non-interest seed capital of Rs. 100,000 per farmer has been provided for the purchase of cattle and buffaloes since the fiscal year 2023/24.

 Arrangements have been made to return the amount within three years, he said.

The rural municipality has also run an animal insurance programme, ensuring relief to farmers in case their animals die.

 The rural municipality has also taken responsibility for the marketing of the milk produced here.

An agreement has been made with Kharipati Dairy for milk marketing, and arrangements have been made to pay farmers through the cooperative every 15 days. 

Milk is collected through 11 milk producers' cooperatives under the rural municipality. Each cooperative has been managing the milk produced by installing a cooling centre.

Bhorleni, Phaparwari, and Namuna milk producers' cooperatives are the ones where most milk is collected, with Phaparwari in Bagmati Rural Municipality-6 collecting about 1,300 litres of milk daily.

In the fiscal year 2023/24, about 2,700 litres of milk were collected daily, which has now increased to 6,650 litres per day. 

Milk is collected through Raigaun, Bagmati, Gadhan, Jhurjhure, Bhorleni, Phaparwari, Pathibhara, Samaj Utthan, Pragati, Betini, and Namuna milk producers' cooperatives.

The municipality, which is becoming self-sufficient in milk, is also expanding its cattle and buffalo farming for milk and meat production. Some farmers are earning income by selling more than 20 litres of milk daily.