Dairy farmers did not get paid

According to the agreement reached between the Dairy Development Board, Dairy Development Institute, Dairy Industry and Farmers, it has been agreed to make the maximum payment within the month of January, complete payment in the month of January and every 15-15 days from the month of February. But the dairy industry has not paid as agreed. Farmers complain that the dairy industry is hesitating to pay due to the fact that the stock of butter and milk powder has not been sold.

Lately, the outstanding amount to be paid to farmers has reached 6 and a half to 7 billion. 15 farmers' organizations including Nepal Farmers' Federation and National Farmers' Network, All Nepal Farmers' Federation, National Democratic Farmers' Organization, Central Dairy Cooperative Association of Nepal, Nepal Dairy Farmers' Association, Dairy Producers' Farmers' Association of Nepal protested saying that the government is not serious about the farmers' demands. In protest, they poured milk in front of the concerned district administration office. Roadblocks were made at 33 places including the highway. Continuing the protest, when the network scheduled a dharna program at Maitighar on February 21, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on February 19 made an agreement with the Central Dairy Cooperative Association Limited to pay the arrears.

Livestock Secretary Revathiraman Paudel, Joint Secretary Surya Paudel, Acting Executive Director of National Dairy Development Board Balak Chaudhary, Director General of Animal Services Department Umesh Dahal, Deputy General Manager of Dairy Development Institute Rajendra Adhikari, Nepal Dairy Association, Dairy Industry Association, Central Dairy Cooperative The point was agreed.

On February 19, 2080, in the presence of Agriculture Minister Veduram Bhusal, according to the agreement reached between milk producers and processors, the dairy industry will make the payment until the end of January 2080 by Chait 21, and the farmers will withdraw their protest. However, like in the past, farmers have been cheated in the last time as well. Although Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, outgoing Agriculture Minister Veduram Bhusal, Agriculture Minister Jwalakumari Sah have given statements that they will pay the remaining amount of the farmers within the month of March, the farmers have not received their due amount yet.

'As in the past, the last time has been betrayed again. In the presence of the minister, the dairy industry agreed to pay, but the farmers did not receive it. We made an agreement with the government, but it was not implemented. The government should also take responsibility for that," said Ammar Bahadur Kunwar, president of the Central Dairy Cooperative Association of Nepal. "If the payment environment is not created within a week, the association will bring justice to the farmers through legal and agitation."

Ganeshchandra Timilsina, president of Kisan Federation, said. He said that the farmers will be opposed again because they have been cheated. The National Farmers' Network protested after the union agreed with the ministry and the dairy industry to withdraw the movement. The

network issued a statement and said that it has drawn attention to the consensus that producers and representatives of farmers' organizations are being ignored with malicious intent. "The union had agreed on a name only, it has become a game to subdue the farmers," said Timilsina, "The time of glory is over, the farmers did not get money." Where are the people who made the agreement, what have they done? According to Timilsina, no milk has been sold in East Jhapa, Ilam. It has become a bigger problem than in the past. However, the government and industrialists are not serious, he said.

Dairy Industry Association President Rajkumar Dahal admitted that he could not make the payment. He said that the farmers could not be paid because the dairy industry had goods worth billions of rupees. After the agreement, we will pay as much as possible. However, we could not pay. We asked to send the goods in stock abroad, but that didn't happen either," Dahal said, "The problem has arisen because of the stock. Our plan was to pay as soon as possible, but it became a forced situation. According to

Dahal, the union has to pay about 2 to 3 billion rupees to the farmers. 3 to 4 billion goods are in stock. With the dairy industry, the situation of the industrialists belonging to the dairy association is also the same. Billions of rupees are due. The government-owned Dairy Development Institute also owes about 2 billion. According to sources, there was arrears of 1.23 billion till January. By March, an additional Rs 60 crore has been added. Although the Ministry of Agriculture agreed to pay, it did not facilitate. When working capital was closed, the ministry did not facilitate exports, said an official of DDC.

Dairy Development Institute General Manager Surya Prasad Paudel said that the loan is being withdrawn from the Ministry of Finance and the payment will be made as soon as it is withdrawn. This means that the amount of 300 million has not been disbursed. We will start paying the farmers as soon as the money is withdrawn and deposited in the DDC account,'' he said. According to him, DDC owed about 35 crores to Artha. The interest on the said loan was 1.5 million. Due to non-payment of interest by DDC, Artha has delayed further disbursement.