Kathmandu. A total of 15 farmers from Bandipur Rural Municipality-5, Yampaphat have been awarded. The Yampaphant Milk Producers’ Cooperatives have awarded the best farmers on the basis of milk sales, said Cooperative’s Chairman Kashinath Bhattarai.

Pushpa Raj Poudel, the proprietor of Model Cow Farm, who sold the highest amount of milk through the cooperative in the last fiscal year, has become the first. He has sold 89,128 liters of milk.

Likewise, Kashi Nath Bhattarai came second with 51,812 liters of milk and Suraj Ghimire third with 44,444 liters of milk.

Similarly, Chhabilal Ghimire got the fourth position, Kamala Pantha the fifth, Hari Prasad Bhattarai the sixth and Om Prasad Lamichhane the seventh position. Indira Bhattarai got the eighth position, Rishiram Bhattarai the ninth position and Ramnath Bhattarai the tenth position.

Similarly, Muna Neupane eleventh, Sanu Maya Sunar twelfth, Takraj Lamichhane thirteenth, Indira Ghimire fourteenth and Om Prakash Gurung 15th for producing 18,184 litres of milk were also awarded with the prize.

They were given cash prizes ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 11,000, said Bhattarai, chairman of the cooperative. The cooperative had sold more than 14 lakh litres of milk in the last fiscal year and had a turnover of more than Rs 17 crore.

The farmers of Yampaphant, known as an important center in the field of animal husbandry, have been active in commercial animal husbandry for a long time. The farmers here, who have been making milk production the main source of income, have been contributing to the development of the local economy and agricultural enterprises.