Chitwan, June 12 

Chitwan which contributes largely to the poultry production at home, has now become fully sufficient on milk production as well, a study shows. The three-month-long joint study conducted by the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Experts Centre, Chitwan and Chitwan Milk Producers' Cooperatives Association came up with this encouraging finding.

According to Centre Chief, Dr Bijay Shrestha, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has recommended that an individual should consume 250 milliliters milk a day to stay healthy. It means that an individual should drink 91 liters of milk in a year.

The district in central Nepal is home to 625 thousands population who need 156 thousands liters of milk each day to meet the FAO recommendation. The district produces 290 thousands liters of milk daily.

The extra quantity is supplied to other districts, mainly to Kathmandu, then Kaski and neighbouring districts. The study shows the number of milking cows is 49 thousands and among them, 10 thousands are of local verities.

Similarly, the number of hybrid buffaloes is nine thousands. These data were collected by the Livestock Service Section at the local level. According to Association chair Ratnamani Neupane, 104 milk cooperatives, out of 138 in the district, are active.

He added that there was a potentiality that the production could go up by 50 per cent if the government support was received. He claimed that Chitwan could meet the demand for milk throughout the country if certain measures were taken such as the development of cow and female calves breeding center, guarantee of accessible subsidized loan to farmers, sufficient grants, availability of vaccine for animals in need and so on.

A programme has been scheduled here today to announce the district fully sufficient on milk production. Prior to this, Kavrepalanchowk was declared as the first district becoming self-sufficient on milk.