The total production of milk per day in the country has dropped to 250,000 liters, which is half of the total production of flush seasons. [break]
For the last two months, both the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC)--the state owned dairy producer--and private dairies have been adding upto 50 percent by volume of powdered milk to the total quantity of milk they produce, in a bid to improve supplies of milk in the market.
"Due to the sharp fall in milk production, we have no option other than to mix powdered milk with the fresh milk collected from farmers. We are adding powdered milk to shore up the supply," Ajab Lal Yadav, general manager of DDC told myrepublica.com.
During flush seasons, about 500,000 liters of milk is usually produced from the organized sector. The DDC alone used to collect about 300,000 liters of milk every day in past flush seasons through its Dairy Distribution Projects in Biratnagar, Hetauda, Butwal, Kohalpur, Lainchaur and Balaju.
A total of 1,580 dairy co-operatives in 59 districts and 300,000 farmers in 36 district associations that are associated with the Central Dairy Co-operative Association Ltd Nepal (CDCAN), an apex body of dairy farmers, supply milk to the DDC and private dairies. These co-operatives annually supply 190 million liters, or 95 percent of the total milk requirement, and altogether 61 co-operatives have installed their own chilling vats and opened chilling centers.
But despite the extensive network and the technology in place for producing and preserving milk, when Nature herself goes awry there´s not much the milk industry can do. This season´s long dry season has wreaked havoc on the industry. According to Lok Bahadur Khadka, office secretary of CDCAN, the deficit of milk is hovering around 376,000 liters, while the everyday demand in the country has remained at around 800,000 liters.
"It´s no wonder then that the DDC and the private dairies have been compelled to use powdered milk to make up the deficit," said Khadka.
So will the practice of mixing fresh milk with powdered milk lead to a lower quality of milk? Officials at the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) said they have no report of fresh milk being adulterated with low-quality powdered milk.
"It is common practice to mix powdered milk in fresh milk to increase the milk supply, and the practice is not objectionable if quality powdered milk is used in the mix," said Pramod Koirala, a research officer at DFQTC.
Koirala claims that chance of using inferior quality powdered milk in fresh milk is very slim as imported powdered milk enters the country after going through thorough quality checks at the customs. Furthermore, the DDC itself also produces powdered milk.
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