CHITWAN, August 30: Milk production in Chitwan has increased by over 10,000 metric tonnes in the past five years, said the District Livestock Service Office (DLO). The increment is 4,414 metric tonnes in the last fiscal year alone, said DLO Chief Dr Dilliram Sedain.
Milk production increased to 90,211 metric tonnes in the FY 2073/074 from 85,797 metric tonnes in the FY 2072/073.
Likewise, the figure was put at 84,077 metric tonnes in the FY 2071/072, an increment from 82,930 metric tonnes in the FY 2072/071.
42 metric tonnes of solid waste extracted from Kathmandu rivers
On average, some 250,000 litres milk is generated from the district on a daily basis, the DLO said, adding that the increment in the production is by 4.89 percent every year.
"The produce is supplied to major cities like Kathmandu," said Sedain.
The DLO Chitwan has attributed the increase in milk production to the new farmers enthusiastically venturing into animal husbandry, especially rearing cows.
The District Milk Producers' Cooperatives Association Chair Harihar Subedi, however, differed and said that the milk production is decreasing in Chitwan district lately.
Declaration for being self-reliant on milk products
In line with the government's target to make country self-reliant on milk and meat products within fiscal year 2018/019, concerned local authority has initiated process to declare Chitwan district self-reliant on the same.
As the guidelines have already reached the local administration, the process has been started towards this end, according to Dr Sedai.
Per individual milk requirement for a year is 90 litres in the country while going by the milk production rate in the district, it comes around 137 litres per person for annual consumption.
As the production is relatively higher than the required consumption rate, the local authority is gearing up to declare Chitwan a self-reliant district on milk products.
The district famed for poultry farming is also inching towards becoming self-reliant on egg and meat, according to Dr Sedai. RSS
