February 13: Milk producing farmers have warned of staging a protest if the government does not increase the price of milk in Tanahun. In a press meet organized at Damuli of  Tanahun on Sunday,  Tanahun District Milk Producers Cooperatives Union warned of staging the agitation if the government did not raise the prices of the milk.

Farmers complained that prices of the milk had not increased though prices of all other daily essentials had skyrocketed in the market.  Union’s Chairman Amar Bahadur Kunwar claimed that they would hike the prices themselves if the government did not increase the value of the milk by February 13.

Chairman Kunwar said that they would give pressure to the government from 64 districts to up the prices. The selling price of the milk is Rs 64 per liter in the district at the moment. “The government has to raise the price by Rs 20 to cover the cost,” said Kunwar.

Farmers involved in animal husbandry are forced to change their profession for failing to get the right prices for their produce.  Tanahun would produce 14,000 liters of milk in the pre-COVID years on a daily basis. However, the district produces only 4500 liters of the milk at the moment , according to Kunwar.

According to Manager Raju Bhujel of the Tanahun District Milk Producers’ Cooperatives Union, as many as 1154 farmers are involved in milk producing profession under 15 cooperatives in the district. The association had sold 1.7 million liters of the milk worth Rs 140 million last year.