KASKI, Sept 16: Around 3,000 litres of milk enter Pokhara’s market every day from Ghachok in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality 3, Kaski. Three milk collection centres have opened in the ward in recent years, reflecting the growth of commercial livestock farming over the past five years. More households have started keeping cattle and selling milk.
The increase in commercial milk production has followed government incentives for dairy farmers. The government provides a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre of milk.
“Farmers have received some relief after the government began providing subsidies based on milk production. Livestock farming has become increasingly popular in the village,” local farmer Gopal Pokharel said. “But milk prices remain low compared with rising costs of cattle feed, straw and other inputs. Milk prices also need to be adjusted according to production costs.”
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The Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Office in Kaski runs a production-based incentive programme under which dairy farmers receive subsidies according to the volume of milk they produce. The money is paid directly to farmers.
Office chief Dr Grishma Neupane said Rs 22 million was distributed to farmers last fiscal year under the programme. Subsidies were provided for 4.4 million litres of milk. Farmers receive the payments through cooperatives involved in milk production, collection and formal marketing.
“The production-based milk incentive programme has been highly effective. It has encouraged farmers to increase production and participate in formal milk marketing,” Neupane said.
According to office data, 6.9237 million litres of milk were collected last year through 27 milk collection institutions and centres under the programme. A total of 8,050 farmers are connected to the milk collection system.
The office says the per-litre incentive has helped increase milk production while connecting farmers with formal markets. Alongside the production-based subsidy, it has also introduced incentives for raising female calves as a way to increase livestock production.
Under the programme, farmers receive Rs 10,000 each for raising heifer calves. Last year, 99 female buffalo calves and 355 female cattle calves were raised to breeding age under the programme. The office estimates that the number of milk-producing animals will increase by 454 and generate an additional 1.2 million litres of milk this year.
Kaski has a total of 120,572 households, of which 52,323 are engaged in livestock farming, according to the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Office.
