Yak Cheese Factory Faces Production Challenges

Rasauwa. Located at the foot of the Langtang mountain range, Canjen Gompa Cheese Factory is not just a dairy industry, but a living history of Himalayan life, local economy, and Nepal's unique taste.

Situated at an altitude of approximately 3,870 meters above sea level, this factory is still known at home and abroad for the cheese produced from yak and chauri milk. However, in recent years, there has been a significant decline in its production due to farmer migration, lack of grazing land, and climate change.

Started in the 1950s with Swiss technical assistance, the Canjen Cheese Production Center is considered one of the early centers for commercial yak cheese production in Nepal. For decades, it has been a source of income for local herders and has provided thousands of tourists visiting Langtang with an experience of Himalayan flavors.

According to Galbo Tamang, a cheesemaker at the Canjen Cheese Factory, production now faces a major challenge. “Earlier, up to 500 liters of milk were collected daily, now only 60-70 liters are collected with difficulty,” Tamang said, “Farmers are migrating, grazing land is decreasing, and due to climate change, even the traditional areas for grazing chauris have changed.”

According to him, yak herders still go up to an altitude of over 5,000 meters to graze their yaks. However, the uncertainty of the weather and the shrinking grazing areas are directly affecting milk production. The milk collected at the Canjen factory is not immediately turned into cheese. The cheese-making process itself is time-consuming. According to Tamang, it takes at least three months from the day the milk is brought to produce edible cheese.

“After bringing the milk and processing it, we have to wait three months for the cheese to be ready. It becomes edible after three months, but the longer it is kept, the better its taste and quality becomes,” he said.

According to salesman Deepak Shrestha working at the factory, most domestic and foreign tourists visiting Canjen like to taste yak cheese and take it home as a souvenir.

“Tourists are curious not only about the taste of cheese but also about its history and production process,” Shrestha said, “This cheese made in the lap of the Himalayas becomes a special experience for them.”

Recently, after Prime Minister Balendra Shah publicly shared a picture of himself eating yak cheese on social media, this product came back into national discussion. Since then, the demand for yak cheese in the market has increased significantly, according to DDC sources.

In Rasuwa district, cheese is currently produced from yak and chauri milk in five places: Canjen, Dhunche, Chandanbari, Gatlang, and Tatopani. Among these, the center at Canjen Gompa is considered one of the highest cheese factories operating in the world.

For the local people, this industry is not just a production center, but also a means of livelihood. Connected to yak and chauri farming, milk collection, cheese production, and tourism, this industry keeps the economic activities of the Langtang region dynamic.

However, the declining production and the decreasing number of herders are raising concerns about the future of this industry. Special attention from the local level, concerned bodies, and the state is deemed necessary to preserve this unique taste born in the Himalayas.

Today, Canjen's yak cheese is not just a food item, but a product that embodies Himalayan culture, local labor, and Nepal's identity. However, the challenge of preserving it is also growing. Locals worry that if the current problems are not resolved, this Himalayan taste will be limited to the pages of history.