Kavrepalanchowk. About 70 per cent of the milk produced from Kavre is supplied to some districts, including the federal capital Kathmandu. The district has been producing around 150,000 metric tonnes (149.28 million litres) of milk annually for the past few years.

According to the District Livestock Service Office, 149,280 metric tonnes of milk is produced annually in the district. A total of 147,874 cows and 138,499 buffaloes have produced milk in the district.

Of the total cows, 43,107 are milch cows and 59,320 are milch buffaloes. Similarly, 23,835 of the milch cows in the district are locals and 19,272 are of advanced breeds.

Of the total milch buffaloes in the district, 34,340 are locals and 24,980 belong to advanced breeds. Office Chief Dr Srija Wagle said that official data is being collected about the amount coming into the district from the sale of milk in the district lately. Panauti, Banepa, Mandandeupur and Panchkhal municipalities of the district produce the most milk.

Kavrepalanchowk, which has a history of selling milk since 2009 BS, was declared a ‘self-sufficient district in milk’ in July 2073 BS. According to the District Milk Producers Cooperative Association, around 70 percent of the total milk produced in the district is being supplied to other districts. “30 per cent of the milk and milk products produced are consumed in the districts and the rest is sent to other districts including Kathmandu,” said Narayan Prasad Badal, president of the association. According to him, 70 cooperatives have been systematically collecting milk from different areas of the district and more than 100 privately.

Around 500,000 litres of milk is produced daily in Kavre and 300,000 litres of milk is sent for sale in the market, badal said. According to him, out of the 13 local levels, liquid milk is not coming to the market from Khanikhola, Mahabharat and Chaurideurali and Bhumlu rural municipalities. According to the association, milk products like butter, chhurpi, khuwa and paneer are coming to the market from the local level. According to the Association, milk is sent from the district especially to Kathmandu and milk is also sent to Pokhara, Chitwan and Hetauda to make pandars.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of difficulty in the implementation of the Milk and Milk Products Production Standard Guideline-2075 ISSUED by the government. Although the Nepal Food, Technology and Quality Control Division Office, Dhulikhel, has repeatedly monitored and alerted the milk processing centers and milk collection centers in Kavre, most of the entrepreneurs in the district are still transporting milk in plastic containers. According to the guidelines, milk cannot be carried and stored in plastic containers and stale milk cannot be sold.