They have even warned of launching nationwide protest from Feb 3 if the government turned deaf ear to their demand.[break]
“Average cost of production of fresh milk presently stands at Rs 40 per liter, which is as high as the price that farmers are get for a letter of milk from dairy producers,” said Madhav Koirala, president of Central Dairy Producers´ Cooperatives Association (CDPCA). “We will launch nationwide protest from if the state-owned Dairy Development Corporation did not raise milk price by Jan 29.”
Addressing the 10th annual general meeting of Kavre District Dairy Producers Cooperatives Association on Thursday, Koirala said DDC must raise the price of fresh milk by 40 percent keeping in view the increasing loss that farmers are facing due to rise in production cost.
“The number of dairy farmers quitting the occupation is increasing due to increasing risk and losses incurred in dairy farming. The situation may turn serious if the government failed to respond to our demand on time,” added Koirala.
According to CDPCA, the powdered milk producers across the country are facing an annual deficit of 182,000 tons of fresh milk.
Dairy cooperatives say only 15 percent of the total milk produced in the country is finding its way to market. They have urged the government to take necessary initiative to bring the remaining chunk to the formal market system.
Responding to dairy farmers, Ganga Prasad Timilsina, chief of DDC´s Kathmandu Distribution Project, said the DDC has formed a committee, which also includes representatives of dairy farmers, to fix the new price of fresh milk.
Meanwhile, the association awarded Republica´s Kavre correspondent Madhu Sudan Guragain for his impressive reporting on agriculture and livestock issues.
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