The Betrayal of Nepal’s Farmers

Farmers in Nepal have taken to the streets, demanding long-overdue payments of nearly Rs 3.5 billion from both the government-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) and private dairies. According to the Central Dairy Cooperative Association Limited Nepal, DDC alone owes about Rs 1 billion, while private dairies have failed to clear Rs 2.5 billion. DDC has not paid farmers since February, despite receiving a Rs 600 million government loan last year. Some large private dairies reportedly owe up to Rs 300 million each. Farmers say they are not protesting by choice but out of desperation, as they struggle to feed their livestock, repay loans, and meet daily expenses. On Sunday, angry farmers staged a sit-in at the DDC headquarters in Lainchaur, Kathmandu, where they clashed with police. They accuse dairies of delaying payments under various pretexts, while the government remains silent. Nepal has around 600,000 cooperative-affiliated farmers supplying 1.2 million litres of milk daily, or 1.8 million litres including the informal sector.