“The coliform episode has seriously affected our business. Sales have dropped by around 50 percent, posing serious threat to the entire industry,” Pralhad Dahal, general secretary of Nepal Dairy Association (NDA), said. He also hinted that drop in sales might lead dairy producers to declare milk holiday in the near future. “Dairy industry presently employs around 10,000 people and supports more than 500,000 households,” he said, adding, “If the issue is not addressed in time, the dairy industry will have to face dire consequences.”
The government had sealed some dairy producers a few weeks ago after high levels of coliform bacteria count were found in their products. Some were even found operating without acquiring license from the government.
Dairy produces said demand started falling after the government issued a public notice advising people against consuming Gayatri, Amrit, Kantipur, BDPL, Sanjeevani and ADP brands of packaged milk. The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) had issued a public notice to this effect on June 20.
Siyaram Prasad Singh, general manager of the state-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), admitted that the corporation suffered drop in sales after coliform bacteria was found in its product. “We, however, are slowly retaining our market position,” Singh said, adding, “We have introduced monitoring system, especially at the chilling centers. We are serious about providing hygienic products to our consumers.”
Meanwhile, Prabhakar Pathak, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD), said dairy market will gradually pick up once the dairy producers start following the standards set by the government. “Dairy companies shouldn´t compromise on quality. They should be conscious about consumers´ health,” he added.
According to conservative estimates, Nepal produces 1.5 million tons of milk per annum.
Kharipati Dairy gets clean chit
The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) on Sunday permitted Kharipati Dairy to resume production of Gayatri brand of pasteurized milk.
The department had sealed the production plant of the Bhaktapur-based dairy producer in June after food inspectors found high levels of choliform bacteria in Gayatri milk.
"The department allowed us to resume production of Gayatri milk after we brought down coliform count in our products to zero," Bishwa Ram Khadka, owner of the dairy, said.
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