Milk-holidays leave dairy farmers desperate
Kula Prasad Rai
Dhankuta, February 13
Dairy farmers in Sindhuwa region are suffering from milk-holidays, imposed by the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), alongwith a low price for their milk.
Farmers in Parewadin, Hattikharka, Murtidhunga, Arkhaule-Jeetapur, Telia and other VDCs in Dhankuta district earn their bread through dairy farming.
More than 1,000 families in the neighbouring VDCs in Tehrathum district like Angdim, Hamarjung, Okhre, Faakchaamaaraa, Sudaap and Daakpaa are involved in this profession.
Milk produced here is collected at Sagarmaathaa Milk Cooling and Distribution Co-operative Organisation (SMCDCO), Sidhuwa bazaar. Later, the Dairy Development Corporation, Biratnagar, buys the collected milk.
The DDC buys all the 3,000 litres of milk collected everyday by SMCDCO. Farmers said that since DDC does not buy milk during milk-holidays, that are on every Tuesday and Wednesday, milk yield on these days is futile.
"Every week 6,000 litres of milk is wasted due to the milk-holiday policy of DDC," said Bheema Mahatara, manager of SMCDCO.
"The government has failed to expand the dairy. Therefore, it has imposed the holiday," said a farmer.
Jeeta Bahadur Bista of Parewadin said that he has cattle of improved breed which he had bought by taking loan. Now due to policies like milk holidays, farmers like him are in a critical situation."
A litre of milk that used to be sold for Rs 14, does not fetch even Rs 10 now," he complained.
Every year 0.3 million litres of milk is wasted in the region, due to milk holidays. And farmers have to bear a loss of about Rs 4.2 million. "We are compelled to feed the milk to the cattle," said Sher Bahadur Poudel of Parewadin.
Besides the havoc wrought by milk-holidays, dairy farmers are suffering due to low price.
"DDC buys a litre of milk for a maximum of Rs14 and takes 32-paisa commission on it," Mahataaraa said. He added," Though it buys milk with cream at the rate of Rs 14/litre, it sells it at Rs 24/litre after extracting cream. The cream fetches the DDC extra profits."
The condition in the sector along the Koshi highway from Hiley to Sindhuwa is worse which has no access to blacktopped roads. Meharmaan Khadka said," Sometimes during the rainy season, transportation gets blocked from Hiley and we can not sell our products at all."
"The DDC is cheating farmers by selling the milk at double the cost and not offering them an appropriate price," said Chhabi Laal Bista of Parewadin-5.
Mahatara of SMCDCO is of the view that the government should expand the dairy project.