TANAHU, Jan 28: Dairy farmers of Byas Municipality-13, Belbas, are quietly proving that good money does not always require a foreign visa.
Farmers linked to the Belbas Milk Producers Cooperative have turned livestock farming into a steady source of income. Out of 61 members, 45 are fully engaged in commercial dairy farming and have become examples for others in the area.
Even during the dry season, when milk output usually drops, production here keeps rising. Cooperative manager Shree Prasad Sankhi says daily collection has reached 1,700 liters, up from 1,600 liters earlier.
Dairy industries struggle to sell milk products due to economic...
“Some farmers earn as little as Rs 15,000 a month, others make over Rs 200,000,” he said. “Once people saw that milk brings a reliable income, they started adding more cows. That pushed production up even in the off-season.”
Milk collected through the cooperative is sold in Damauli and to Sujal Dairy in Pokhara. With a ready market in place, farmers say selling milk has never been a problem. Two shops operating in Damauli alone consume about 700 liters daily, while Sujal Dairy transports around 2,000 liters to Pokhara every alternate day.
Cooperative secretary Meghnath Acharya says the impact goes beyond individual households. “This has changed the face of the whole community,” he said. “It has also encouraged others who were unsure about livestock farming to give it a try.”
Farmers say income from milk sales helps them manage daily household expenses and financial transactions with ease. At current rates, milk worth around Rs 134,000 is collected every day.
Producers receive subsidies through the cooperative, Rs 3 per liter from the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre, and Rs 2 per liter from Byas Municipality.
Cooperative chairperson Keshav Bahadur Thapa believes stronger state support could make dairy farming even more effective. He points to rising feed prices and says subsidies linked to production would help farmers stay motivated.
With a milk collection center located in the village itself, farmers can sell milk every morning and evening without hassle. Ward chairperson Basanta Bahadur Ale says the municipality continues to provide production-based incentives to keep farmers encouraged.
In Belbas, cowsheds have become workplaces, and staying home has started to make financial sense.
