Damauli. The Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Expert Centre has distributed a grant of Rs 9,741,534 to the dairy farmers. The office distributed the amount through 11 cooperatives in the fiscal year 2081/82 BS with the objective of encouraging dairy farmers to engage in animal husbandry.

The distribution of milk subsidy through the Centre has doubled. In the last fiscal year 2080/81, a grant of Rs 4.373 million was distributed to the farmers.

Centre chief Rabinson Adhikari said the policy of providing subsidy on the basis of production has attracted farmers towards milk production. A budget of Rs 10 million was allocated for the subsidy programme on milk production in the current fiscal year.

“We have distributed subsidy at the rate of Rs 3 per litre with the objective of attracting farmers to milk production,” he said. In the current fiscal year, subsidy has been distributed on 3.247 million liters of milk.

Although the proposal has been received through 15 cooperatives of the district, subsidy has been given to the farmers selling milk through 10-11 cooperatives so that there is no dual facility, the official said. “Some local levels themselves have started subsidy programmes on milk.

We did not distribute it as it would be repeated in such places. With the introduction of subsidy on the basis of production in milk, farmers are attracted to milk production, which has helped the district become self-sufficient in milk.

Rs 1.75 million for selling 583,333 litres of milk through Dumsi Milk Producers Cooperative Society of Byas Municipality-10, Rs 350,788 for selling 116,929 litres of milk through Charkune Milk Producers Cooperative in Byas Municipality-1, Rs 505,016,537 for selling 505,012 litres of milk through Belbas Milk Producers Cooperative at Byas Municipality-13. A grant of Rs 555,421 has been distributed for the sale of 185,140 liters of milk through Chintutar Milk Producers Cooperative Society of Byas Municipality-5 and Rs 444,998 for the sale of 148,332 liters of milk through The Chevor Milk Producers Cooperative at Byas Municipality-10.

Rs 1,662,780 for selling 554,260 liters of milk through Yampa Milk Producers Cooperative of Bandipur Rural Municipality-5, Rs 290,980 for selling 96,993 liters of milk through Suryodaya Milk Producers Cooperative Society of Bandipur Rural Municipality-1, Rs 825,172 for selling 275,057 liters of milk through Gohitar Agricultural Cooperative Society at Devghat Rural Municipality-5. Shukla Agricultural Tourism Cooperative at Shuklagandaki Municipality-10 has provided a grant of Rs 1 million 39 thousand 864 for the sale of 346,621 liters of milk.

Similarly, Rs 274,590 was distributed for the sale of 91,530 liters of milk through Gau Seva Milk Producers Cooperative Society at Shuklagandaki Municipality-7 and Rs 1,030,398 for selling 343,466 liters of milk through Jayalakshmi Milk Producers Cooperative at Shuklagandaki Municipality-9.

Subash Sapkota, chairman of Dumsi Milk Producers Cooperative Society, said that the policy of giving subsidy on milk has made it easier for the farmers. He said, “According to the subsidy policy, those who produced less milk earlier have now emphasized on more production. ’