Chitwan Dairy Farmers Await NPR 550 Million in Unpaid Milk Dues

Chitwan. Dairy farmers in the district have yet to receive NPR 550 million for milk sales. They have not received payment for the past six months.

According to Kishor Bagale, Chairman of the District Milk Producers Cooperative Union, farmers are facing difficulties as they have not received payment for milk since last Kartik (mid-October to mid-November). Although there is no problem with the market, dairy farmers are in trouble because major milk industries, including the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), have not made the payments.

He stated, "The DDC's payment has been pending for six months, and other industries' payments have been pending for three months." Chairman Bagale informed that while smaller industries make regular payments, payments from larger industries are outstanding.

Currently, the district produces 350,000 liters of milk daily. More than 50 percent of this milk is transported outside the district for sale. The 115 milk producer cooperative unions in the area collect milk daily and distribute it to major industries. He informed that because these cooperatives are not receiving timely payments, it is difficult for them to pay the farmers. Forty thousand farmers are involved in milk production in the district.