Rs 70 million to be distributed among 200 dairy cooperatives of Kavre
BANEPA, May 7: The government has decided to continue its output-based subsidy worth Rs 70 million for farmers affiliated with dairy production and marketing cooperatives.
The Directorate of Livestock Production had introduced the subsidy scheme in Fiscal Year 2015/16, by providing farmers Re 1 for every liter of milk produced.
Homestay not attracted by subsidy
In FY 2016/17, 200 cooperatives, who met terms and conditions prescribed by the department, were selected for the subsidy program, according to Dr Narayan Bahadur Shrestha, a senior livestock development officer with District Livestock Service Office, Kavre. “Farmers affiliated to 19 dairy producing cooperatives of the district are eligible for the subsidy scheme. Only the cooperatives based in four - Deupur-Mandan, Panchkhal, Dhulikhel and Panauti municipalities - out of 13 local units are receiving subsidy,” he added.
Cooperatives based in 12 local units had received subsidy in the last fiscal year.
“To be eligible for the scheme, dairy farmer should be a member of cooperatives that collect at least 500 liters of milk every day. Also, the accounts of the cooperative must be duly audited,” added Shrestha.
The Directorate of Livestock Production has already approved disbursement of Rs 5.78 million among the 200 dairy cooperatives of the district. Setidevi Milk Cooperative of Dhulikhel Municipality Ward-2 is receiving the highest subsidy i.e. Rs 1.31 million.
“We were already providing incentive of 50 paisa per liter from our funds to farmers to deliver milk to us twice a day. As we started getting subsidy from the government since last year, farmers have been more enthusiastic toward dairy farming,” Chaturbhuj Timilsina, president of the cooperative, told Republica.
Setidevi Milk Cooperative has been collecting 4,000 liters of milk every day in two shifts - morning and evening. “As we have our own milk chilling vat, it is better to collect milk twice a day so as to not compromise with quality of milk produced in the evening which would otherwise be delivered in the morning,” added Timilsina.
