These farmers, who travel for up to five hours on bicycles to sell milk, also complain that they have not been getting fair price for their product.[break]
For Akash Barma, a dairy farmer of Holiya-5, it is a daily routine to carry 35 liters of milk on his bicycle and deliver them to two hotels and 25 houses in Nepalgunj. He also delivers milks to households in Betahani, Holiya and Kamdi areas.
“I do this every day and return home only at around five in the evening,” Barma told Republica, highlighting the problem faced by dairy farmers of seven village development committees across Rapti river.
Rajesh Yadav, a dairy farmer of Betahani-7, has similar story to tell. Yadav himself travels on his bicycle for around four hours every day to deliver 30 liters of milk in a hotel and 30 houses in Nepalgunj.
“If I don´t do this most of my milk will go to waste,” said Yadav, who is raising five buffalos. “Had there been a milk collection center near my home, I probably wouldn´t have to put in all this effort.”
Other dairy farmers even travel to bordering Indian towns to sell milk.
Raju Shukla, a dairy farmer of Gangapur-5, for instance, delivers milk to houses and small restaurants in Indian towns of Holiya and Sukh Bazaar. “I spend the entire day doing this,” he said.
Farmers like Shukla, Yadav and Barma probably wouldn´t have complained about hard work had they been receiving fair price for their product. But since they are being forced to sell the milk for Rs 30 per liter in Nepalgunj and bordering Indian towns, as against market price of Rs 50 per liter, they are not happy at all.
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