Backlog of powdered milk, butter blocking DDC from paying farmers

KATHMANDU, MARCH 1: The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) is facing problems in paying the dairy farmers due to the backlog of huge quantities of powdered milk and butter. Though the DDC has been purchasing 140,000 litres of milk from farmers of different districts daily, it is facing problems as only 90,000 litres of milk are sold in the market.

Deputy General Manager of DDC and Information Officer Rajendra Prasad Adhikari shared that they purchase 4.2 million litres of milk from farmers every month. “But only around 2.7 million litres of milk is sold. We have been storing butter and powdered milk equivalent to around 50,000 litres of milk every day,” he said.

Adhikari further said there is now a stock of 900,000 kilogrammes of powdered milk and 700,000 kilogrammes of butter worth Rs 1.25 billion with the DDC.

The DDC purchases milk produced in 43 districts through its own chilling centre and different cooperatives and sells it to general consumers. It has 64 chilling centres across the country.