At present, there is a sharp decline in the consumption of dairy products in Nepal due to the corona epidemic. 100 million worth of milk has been wasted and losses have been incurred.
According to Prahlad Dahal, Central secretary general of the association, 3.1 million litres of milk and milk products were consumed daily in the pre-corona epidemic.
The dairy sector has contributed nine percent to the gross domestic product of Nepal. There are four types of dairy industries in Nepal including domestic, small, medium and large dairy industries. Looking at the statistics of all types of dairy dairies across the country, there are about seven thousand.
According to Dahal, Rs.100 million worth of milk has been wasted on a daily basis due to the impact of corona epidemic on the consumption of milk and dairy products including hotel business, party palaces and other industries.
Hotels, restaurant, party palaces and urban people are leaving the village due to low consumption of milk and dairy products, schools, colleges, government offices are closed, people have less money, ice cream business is reduced, few shops are open in the morning due to groceries are sold, the shop department etc. is to be closed. This has caused problems for both farmers and industry. Last year it was closed in the same season and this time too it is said to have been very difficult. Earlier, 3.1 million litres were consumed daily in comfortable condition, but now only 1.3 million litres are consumed daily due to corona.
Last year’s lockdown was made by buying farmer’s milk even though it was not sold in the market so that it would be open and easy soon. This time it was not the case and the Dairy Association estimates that last year’s Rs.3 billion worth of powdered milk and butter remained.
Because of corona, there are many people have left their jobs abroad and returned home and from the cities to the villages. He said that new technology could be brought to link their skills and capital with agriculture in a planned manner. The dairy sector contributes nine percent to the gross domestic product. Five lakh farming families have got direct employment in this sector. Indirectly, millions more have found employment.
The private sector has invested Rs.30 billion in the overall agricultural sector. About Rs.60 million is flowing from the city to the village daily. The government will provide non-subsidized loans to those who cannot invest, establish resource centres for improved breeds of cows, set up wet milk centres in groups for quality milk production, bring social programs to maintain quality from cowshed to lip, reduce production costs and bring agriculture to the forefront. The Dairy Association has concluded that only by bringing a program to create a respectable profession can the overall agricultural profession go up and complete with foreign companies.
According to the Dairy Association, the annual revenue in Nepal is more than Rs.3 billion. The total milk production in the country is 6.2 million litres. However, 50 percent has not yet been systematically marketed. The formal sector has 17 percent market share while the informal sector has 33 percent. Fifty percent of the farmers consume it themselves.
By Muna Chand
