Chitwan. Chitwan: District Milk Producers’ Cooperatives Association, Chitwan, an umbrella organisation of the District Milk Producers’ Cooperatives Association, has started milk processing on its own. The Association has rented the Gauridhara Dairy Industry at Ratnanagar Municipality-5 Jhuwani and temporarily started milk processing.

The Association has already purchased five kattha of land at Bharatpur metropolis-15 Phulbari for the purpose of processing milk. The Bagmati state government has already allocated Rs 5 million for operating the industry on the land, said Association district chair Kishor Bagale said.

“Milk processing has started in the district on a temporary basis and now the production of ghee, butter, paneer, khuwa, curd and mustard has begun,” he said. According to him, the plant can process up to one thousand liters of milk daily.

He said that after the establishment of its own plant in Phulbari, it can process up to two thousand liters of milk on a daily basis. The association aims to increase the capacity of the industry to process milk daily to 15,000 liters in the future. “The plant will be established with the aim of producing ice cream and chocolates in the future,” he said.

According to the Association, 350,000 litres of milk is produced in the district on a daily basis. Out of this, 150,000 liters of milk is being sold in the market. The milk produced in Chitwan reaches Kathmandu, Pokhara, Hetauda and other cities. A total of 115 cooperatives in the district collect milk. More than 40,000 farmers are involved in these cooperatives.