October 11: Nepal has been importing 120,000 litres of milk per day from India. However, such a huge quantity of import is still not able to meet the internal demand for milk in the country.

After concluding that the domestic market of Nepal lacks the required amount of milk, the Government of Nepal has given permission to import 120,000 litres of milk per day.

The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), Sujal Dairy and Dairy Industries Association of Nepal have been importing milk accordingly.

Even after importing milk from Nepal, it is believed that the country still requires 180,000 litres of milk per day.

The demand for milk in the domestic market is 1,050,000 litres per day but the domestic production is just 750,000, according to Dr Balak Chaudhary, technical director of the state-owned DDC.

“The supply of milk reaches 870,000 litres per day by adding the imported milk from India but it still falls short of the market demand by 180,000 litres,” says Chaudhary.

Dr Chaudhary says that the production of milk increases from mid-October while its consumption declines. Therefore, the government is making preparations not to allow import of additional milk with the onset of winter season.

The country has been forced to import milk from India just one and a half years after the government announced Nepal as a self-sufficient country in dairy production.

The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the then Minister for Agriculture Padma Aryal had announced Nepal self-sufficient powder milk and butter in March 2021. But now, Nepal has been importing liquid milk from Patna Dairy of India due to lack of powder milk and butter.

Although the government’s decision to ease imports has provided some relief to meet the demand for milk in the country, it is still struggling to meet the demand for powder milk and butter, says Prahlad Dahal, chairman of Nepal Dairy Association.

“We know how much milk we need and how much is being supplied. We are afraid that there will be shortage of milk next year as well. Therefore the government must collaborate with the private sector and also allow the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation and Food Management and Trading Company to import powder milk and butter,” says Dahal.

Although the government has allowed daily import of 120,000 litres of milk, the bodies responsible for importing such quantity of milk are unable to import milk to that extent.  Therefore, the market is still reeling under scarcity of milk.