Dairy Development in Nepal

Overview of the sector

• Livestock sector significantly contributes to national AGDP by nearly one third and the dairy sub-sector shares more than half of the livestock sector contribution.
• The annual production of milk is 1.35 million metric ton per year. Buffaloes contributes more than two third of the total .production and rest by cows.
• About 13 percent of the total population of cattle (0.9 million) and 26 percent of buffaloes (1.19 million) are in milking conditions. Crossbreeding with Jersey and Holstein Friesian cattle and Murrah buffaloes is the major breed improvement activity.
• There is predominance of small holder production system. Nearly 125 thousand farm families are engaged in milk production and are organized in about 1500 primary cooperatives.

Production system is crop-livestock-forest integrated especially in hills. In the high mountains regions, yak and chauries are reared in transhumance system. There is seasonal fluctuation in milk production and collection which affects supply of pasteurized milk in the market (flush season; August-September to January-February; lean season; rest of the months). The ratio of lean to flush season production is about 1:3 in most of the country and 1:1.5 in areas where the feed supply is better. Seasonal breeding pattern of buffaloes and avilability of green forages in monsoon season are the main reasons.

• Dairy development efforts started in early fifties with assistance from FAO. Initiatives were focused in Himalayan region with establishment of yak cheese factories.
• Besides FAO, bilateral assistance from the governments of Switzerland, New Zealand and Denmark has made remarkable contribution.
• Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) was established under corporation Act in 1964. DDC started functioning from 1969. DDC is the pioneer in dairy development in Nepal a fully government state owned corporation DDC was initiated for the economic advancement of the poor small milk producing farming communities. It is still one of the major players in the milk market and handles about half of the total milk marketed in the formal sector (about 13 percent of the total milk produced in the country is believed to be marketed through formal marketing channel.
• Private sector investment in dairy has increased over the years and in past two decades their share has increased to nearly half of the total milk marketed in formal sector. Main operation area is in and around Kathmandu which is the major market for milk and milk products.
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was established as apex body to oversee that dairy sector in the country 1992. The DANNIDA Support Project funded by the Royal Danish Government supported to prepare and implement Ten Year Dairy Development Plan (1990-2000) and strengthened NDDB.

Status and the structure of the current dairy strategy

• Promoting private sector investment in dairy sector has resulted in establishment of two milk powder plants with installed capacity to utilize nearly 200 thousand liter milk per day.
• Public-private partnership strategy promoted by the DLS in ADB supported TLDP and CLDP projects has been useful in expansion of milk collection networks, raising awareness in hygienic milk production, products diversifications, improving keeping quality of milk and strengthening management capabilities of dairy cooperatives and private dairies (small and medium scale).
• Milk Producers Cooperatives Societies involvement in milk processing and marketing (large scale) is constrained by limited investment capacity and technical capability.
• Provisions of the Agribusiness Policy on promotion of dairy industry are not fully operational (for e.g. waiver of customs duties on import of dairy equipment, refrigerated vehicles and so on for first 10 years of establishment of the industry).
• Human resources development in dairy sector have not received due priority there is lack of qualified professionals in the public as well as in the private sector.
• Forage based milk production system although found remunerative to the producers has not widely been expanded and is limited in some of the production pockets.
• Adoption of code of practices in dairy industries and its monitoring/ regulation has not been implemented effectively. There are wide variations in the quality of milk and milk products in the market.

Policies affecting dairy sector

• Dairy Development Policy 2008; main policy document of the government; guided by the provisions and the spirit of the Agriculture Perspective Plan (1995-2015), National Agriculture Policy 2004, National Milk marketing and Strategy Study 2001, Agri-business Promotion Policy 2006. The Three Year Interim Plan (2007-2009) of the Government of Nepal has also projected to have fairly higher growth rate in milk production (4.6 percent per annum).
• Policies of the government on meeting food security arising from the global food grain crisis and the priorities accorded for securing food grains production will affect the public sector investment in dairy sector.
• Improvement in access to institutional credit and the associated credit insurance/ livestock insurance schemes/ policies of the financial institutions will have positive implications on dairy production.

Major constraints

• Scientific milk pricing policy is lacking. A persistent problem the dairy industry faces is poor milk quality. This is associated with a lack of farmer awareness in clean milk production. Unhygienic milk production starts with the farmer and causes loss of income along the milk chain.
• Predominance of small holder producers or subsistence production systems and scattered production; no commercial orientation, higher production cost and also increased collection cost
• Large number of low producing animals; cattle produce about 400 liters milk per lactation and a buffalo produce about 834 liters per lactation.
• NDDB (2001) estimated that during the next decade, milk demand from the urban sector will grow by 11.1% per annum (NDDB, 2001). This indicates that the present growth rate in milk production must increase from 3% per annum to 17% per annum (when imports are excluded).
• Problems in disposal of unproductive cattle on religious ground.
• Weak in implementation of policy provisions.
• Lack of human resources and technology support in private sector

Long term vision for the sector

• Substitute the import of milk and milk products in the country through increased production and productivity of milk
• Encourage private sector investment in dairy sector; product diversification, export of niche products.
• Emphasis on quality improvement in whole chain from farm to fork (introduction of code of hygienic practices, GMP, HACCP in dairy industries).
• Implement scientific milk pricing policies that encourage quality milk production
• Improve the competitiveness of Nepalese dairy producers/ entrepreneurs; efficient animal breeding and veterinary services, promotion of forage based production etc.
• Strengthening of farmers institutions and improving their capabilities.
• Continuously review and update the policies to make Nepalese dairy sector competitive.
• Nationwide detailed market survey study on milk and milk products should be carried out to undertake appropriate dairy development strategies and program.
• NDDB has to formulate and recommend policies on import and export of goods necessary for production and promotion of milk and milk products and to or cause to implement approved policies.