A White Revolution Begins From West Terai
Yuba Nath Lamsal
Imagine how the white revolution is in the offing, slowly, in Nepal. That, too, from young entrepreneurs, who would otherwise evade farming and look for greener pastures. The Lumbini Agro-Products Pvt. Ltd. is here with a dream and vision of white (milk) revolution.
Commercial dairy farming is something that has recently made its way to Nepal. Although dairy farming has been in practice in Nepal for centuries, it used to be a family business meant only for domestic consumption. Now change is in the air and it has come to the agro sector, too.
The rapid urbanization and massive migration of people from rural areas to urban centers in search of better opportunities has its impact on dairy farming, too. With high-speed urbanization, the arable land in and around the urban areas has sharply augmented the demand of dairy products in Nepal. The traditional approach of dairy farming can no longer meet the growing demand of milk and meat giving rise to new and innovative approach for more and better production.
Despite being an agricultural country with over two-thirds of the Nepalese people involved in farming, food insecurity is getting more acute in Nepal every year leaving tens of thousands of people starved, hungry and malnourished. What can be a greater irony than this? Worse still, people who are in the helms of affair have not yet awaken and are least bothered.
The other side is more ironic. Farming in Nepal, as it seems, is not a preferred vocation but people are in the farming business under compulsion because they simply have no better alternative. If given alternative, Nepali farmers are willing to switch over to other vocations. However, the choices are limited in Nepal and they are compelled to toil on the farms growing crops, rearing cattle and feeding the people.
It is estimated that Nepal is short of over 400,000 liters of milk daily, which is being met by imports. Billions of rupees are siphoned out of the country for importing milk or other dairy-based products every year. Nepal has potentials to be self-reliant on dairy products, if the potentials are fully harnessed, which would also save billions of rupees from going out of the country annually. Commercial development of dairy farming is, therefore, a must if Nepal has to fully tap this potential and become self-reliant on dairy products.
However, efforts are not adequate, on the part of the government. The government established its own Dairy Development Corporation decades ago in order to make the country self-reliant on milk and milk-based products. But the country still faces shortage of milk and milk-based products. The growing demand of dairy products, especially milk, has recently started attracting farmers as well as entrepreneurs to invest in this sector in a commercial way. A wonderful and exemplary initiative has recently been taken by a group of farmers under the leadership of young entrepreneur Sashi Poudel in Rupandehi district of south-western Nepal.
Poudel formed a group of friends and like-minded people, who are interested in doing something innovative in the field of agriculture. This group came up with the idea of investing in livestock sector. The group created and duly registered a company called the Lumbini Agro-Product (LAP) Pvt. Ltd. and practically started work, which has already become a model project for many farmers and entrepreneurs alike to follow. This is a way forward in turning Nepal self-reliant on dairy products and livestock. Presumed to be the largest private cattle (cow and buffaloes) farm in Nepal, LAP aims to become a model hybrid cow breeding center not only in Nepal but also in the entire South Asian region. "If things go as we have planned, we will be able not only to meet the demand of hybrid cows in the country but export milk cows to South Asia," Poudel avers with confidence. The firm has already produced over 50 hybrid calves.
Located at Tikuligarh-3 of Rupandehi district, about 350 kilometers south-west of Kathmandu, the LAP has an ambitious plan of developing the firm as a multi-purpose industry. Already producing over 1,000 liters of milk daily from 300 Holstein and jersey cows and over a dozen hybrid buffaloes, LAP is currently supplying milk to a dairy firm in Chitwan. However, it has a plan to establish its own dairy firm for which it has a target of producing at least 3,000 liters of milk daily. LAP is soon going to add additional 300 hybrid cows so that the firm can function in full capacity, says Poudel, the principal promoter of LAP and the brain behind the entire project. Apart from the dairy firm and hybrid cow birthing center, LAP has a plan of developing an energy plant to generate one megawatt electricity from the dung and urine of the cows and buffaloes. The work on energy production has already been initiated in collaboration with the Center for Energy Studies of the Institute of Engineering, Pulchock, according to Poudel.
Established last year, the farm currently has several partners who are working day and night to realize their dream of a model cattle farm. "If our work goes as per the plan, we would be able not only to supply hybrid cows to Nepali farmers but also export improved breed of dairy cows to other countries like India," Poudel said.
Nepal does not have sufficient number of hybrid cows. If one wants to start a dairy firm, he/she has to import milk cows from other countries, either from India illegally or from Europe, Australia or New Zealand. Importing hybrid cows from Europe, Australia and New Zealand is relatively costlier. Moreover, the imported cows may not be at ease in our climatic condition. Bringing them from India is also difficult as the government of India has banned the export of live milk cow. The best way is to produce hybrid cows in our own country which would be suitable in our climatic condition, said he. "My initiative is to make Nepal self-reliant in milk and milk-related," young entrepreneur Poudel said in a brief interaction.
LAP has purchased a huge plot of land and already invested almost 100 million rupees. Everything is mechanized on the farm. Machine does the works ranging from grass sowing to cutting and from preparing fodder to milking. Thirty people are already employed—some full time and a few on part time basis. A veterinary doctor works full time treating the cows and calves.
The LAP has been a place of attraction for school children, tourists and researchers alike. It has introduced the entry fees for those who want to visit and a person provides information to visitor wishing to learn. Though meager, the ticket system has also been a source of revenue. The LAP has hinted at the possibility of popularizing agro-tourism in Nepal, which is already popular in several other countries in Asia, Europe and America.
According to Poudel, Nepal’s prosperity depends on the development of agriculture. "If we can properly harness our agricultural, hydro-power and tourism potentials, Nepal could be one of the prosperous countries not only in South Asia but also in the entire continent," he said. "This hunched me to initiate this project."
Poudel himself was born in a farmer’s family. But the cultivation his parents did and taught was not for commercial purpose but a subsistence one for the survival of the family. Agriculture was and still is not a profitable venture but is practiced under compulsion. This is mainly in the absence of commercialization and industrialization of agriculture. Although farm communities feed the society and the country, they are hardly praised and appreciated. As the famous saying goes: ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’ most young people opt for other vocations even when they are born in a peasant family and possess inborn skill in farming. Poudel, too, had never imagined of starting a dairy farm but always dreamt of being a doctor, an engineer or a pilot during his school days. However, destiny ultimately brought him where he is now—back to his family vocation. But Poudel has started the vocation not in traditional fashion, as his parents did, but in a commercial manner. "I am a son of farmer and I love farming," Poudel said.
Perhaps recognizing his noble initiative, the LAP was honoured with ‘Best National Entrepreneurship Award’ on the occasion of the United Nations World Food Day. Encouraged by the recognition by individuals, organizations and the government, Poudel is working out to expand it to other parts of the country. What Poudel has started is definitely a wonderful venture which may be followed by people nationwide and make the country self-reliant in agro-products in general and dairy products in particular. At a time when the country is facing acute shortage of food, hunger and malnutrition, such an initiative would definitely make a positive impact on Nepal’s bid for self-reliance and agricultural development for which people like Sashi Poudel are role models, undeniably.
Imagine how the white revolution is in the offing, slowly, in Nepal. That, too, from young entrepreneurs, who would otherwise evade farming and look for greener pastures. The Lumbini Agro-Products Pvt. Ltd. is here with a dream and vision of white (milk) revolution.
Commercial dairy farming is something that has recently made its way to Nepal. Although dairy farming has been in practice in Nepal for centuries, it used to be a family business meant only for domestic consumption. Now change is in the air and it has come to the agro sector, too.
The rapid urbanization and massive migration of people from rural areas to urban centers in search of better opportunities has its impact on dairy farming, too. With high-speed urbanization, the arable land in and around the urban areas has sharply augmented the demand of dairy products in Nepal. The traditional approach of dairy farming can no longer meet the growing demand of milk and meat giving rise to new and innovative approach for more and better production.
Despite being an agricultural country with over two-thirds of the Nepalese people involved in farming, food insecurity is getting more acute in Nepal every year leaving tens of thousands of people starved, hungry and malnourished. What can be a greater irony than this? Worse still, people who are in the helms of affair have not yet awaken and are least bothered.
The other side is more ironic. Farming in Nepal, as it seems, is not a preferred vocation but people are in the farming business under compulsion because they simply have no better alternative. If given alternative, Nepali farmers are willing to switch over to other vocations. However, the choices are limited in Nepal and they are compelled to toil on the farms growing crops, rearing cattle and feeding the people.
It is estimated that Nepal is short of over 400,000 liters of milk daily, which is being met by imports. Billions of rupees are siphoned out of the country for importing milk or other dairy-based products every year. Nepal has potentials to be self-reliant on dairy products, if the potentials are fully harnessed, which would also save billions of rupees from going out of the country annually. Commercial development of dairy farming is, therefore, a must if Nepal has to fully tap this potential and become self-reliant on dairy products.
However, efforts are not adequate, on the part of the government. The government established its own Dairy Development Corporation decades ago in order to make the country self-reliant on milk and milk-based products. But the country still faces shortage of milk and milk-based products. The growing demand of dairy products, especially milk, has recently started attracting farmers as well as entrepreneurs to invest in this sector in a commercial way. A wonderful and exemplary initiative has recently been taken by a group of farmers under the leadership of young entrepreneur Sashi Poudel in Rupandehi district of south-western Nepal.
Poudel formed a group of friends and like-minded people, who are interested in doing something innovative in the field of agriculture. This group came up with the idea of investing in livestock sector. The group created and duly registered a company called the Lumbini Agro-Product (LAP) Pvt. Ltd. and practically started work, which has already become a model project for many farmers and entrepreneurs alike to follow. This is a way forward in turning Nepal self-reliant on dairy products and livestock. Presumed to be the largest private cattle (cow and buffaloes) farm in Nepal, LAP aims to become a model hybrid cow breeding center not only in Nepal but also in the entire South Asian region. "If things go as we have planned, we will be able not only to meet the demand of hybrid cows in the country but export milk cows to South Asia," Poudel avers with confidence. The firm has already produced over 50 hybrid calves.
Located at Tikuligarh-3 of Rupandehi district, about 350 kilometers south-west of Kathmandu, the LAP has an ambitious plan of developing the firm as a multi-purpose industry. Already producing over 1,000 liters of milk daily from 300 Holstein and jersey cows and over a dozen hybrid buffaloes, LAP is currently supplying milk to a dairy firm in Chitwan. However, it has a plan to establish its own dairy firm for which it has a target of producing at least 3,000 liters of milk daily. LAP is soon going to add additional 300 hybrid cows so that the firm can function in full capacity, says Poudel, the principal promoter of LAP and the brain behind the entire project. Apart from the dairy firm and hybrid cow birthing center, LAP has a plan of developing an energy plant to generate one megawatt electricity from the dung and urine of the cows and buffaloes. The work on energy production has already been initiated in collaboration with the Center for Energy Studies of the Institute of Engineering, Pulchock, according to Poudel.
Established last year, the farm currently has several partners who are working day and night to realize their dream of a model cattle farm. "If our work goes as per the plan, we would be able not only to supply hybrid cows to Nepali farmers but also export improved breed of dairy cows to other countries like India," Poudel said.
Nepal does not have sufficient number of hybrid cows. If one wants to start a dairy firm, he/she has to import milk cows from other countries, either from India illegally or from Europe, Australia or New Zealand. Importing hybrid cows from Europe, Australia and New Zealand is relatively costlier. Moreover, the imported cows may not be at ease in our climatic condition. Bringing them from India is also difficult as the government of India has banned the export of live milk cow. The best way is to produce hybrid cows in our own country which would be suitable in our climatic condition, said he. "My initiative is to make Nepal self-reliant in milk and milk-related," young entrepreneur Poudel said in a brief interaction.
LAP has purchased a huge plot of land and already invested almost 100 million rupees. Everything is mechanized on the farm. Machine does the works ranging from grass sowing to cutting and from preparing fodder to milking. Thirty people are already employed—some full time and a few on part time basis. A veterinary doctor works full time treating the cows and calves.
The LAP has been a place of attraction for school children, tourists and researchers alike. It has introduced the entry fees for those who want to visit and a person provides information to visitor wishing to learn. Though meager, the ticket system has also been a source of revenue. The LAP has hinted at the possibility of popularizing agro-tourism in Nepal, which is already popular in several other countries in Asia, Europe and America.
According to Poudel, Nepal’s prosperity depends on the development of agriculture. "If we can properly harness our agricultural, hydro-power and tourism potentials, Nepal could be one of the prosperous countries not only in South Asia but also in the entire continent," he said. "This hunched me to initiate this project."
Poudel himself was born in a farmer’s family. But the cultivation his parents did and taught was not for commercial purpose but a subsistence one for the survival of the family. Agriculture was and still is not a profitable venture but is practiced under compulsion. This is mainly in the absence of commercialization and industrialization of agriculture. Although farm communities feed the society and the country, they are hardly praised and appreciated. As the famous saying goes: ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’ most young people opt for other vocations even when they are born in a peasant family and possess inborn skill in farming. Poudel, too, had never imagined of starting a dairy farm but always dreamt of being a doctor, an engineer or a pilot during his school days. However, destiny ultimately brought him where he is now—back to his family vocation. But Poudel has started the vocation not in traditional fashion, as his parents did, but in a commercial manner. "I am a son of farmer and I love farming," Poudel said.
Perhaps recognizing his noble initiative, the LAP was honoured with ‘Best National Entrepreneurship Award’ on the occasion of the United Nations World Food Day. Encouraged by the recognition by individuals, organizations and the government, Poudel is working out to expand it to other parts of the country. What Poudel has started is definitely a wonderful venture which may be followed by people nationwide and make the country self-reliant in agro-products in general and dairy products in particular. At a time when the country is facing acute shortage of food, hunger and malnutrition, such an initiative would definitely make a positive impact on Nepal’s bid for self-reliance and agricultural development for which people like Sashi Poudel are role models, undeniably.
Comments
Post a Comment