DDC moves to put Dolpa’s yak cheese on the market

Yak herders in Nepal's Dolpa district are poised to benefit from a new market for their cheese, thanks to an agreement with the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC). For generations, yak and chauri farming has been a way of life in the high-altitude regions, but commercial cheese production has struggled to gain traction due to the absence of a dependable market.

The DDC and the local government of Jagadulla Rural Municipality have partnered to establish a cheese plant in Bhalulek. The DDC will supply essential cheese-making training, technical expertise, and equipment. Crucially, they have guaranteed a market for the cheese produced, a move expected to revitalize the local economy.

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If farmers anywhere in Dolpa want to produce cheese, we will coordinate with local units and help set up everything they need. We will also guarantee a market for the cheese.

DDC General Manager Sharan Kumar Pandey stated that technical staff and equipment would be dispatched within a week, with production slated to begin within 15 days. The goal is to have the first products available to consumers within three months. Jagadulla alone has the potential to produce approximately 30 tonnes of yak cheese annually.

While the municipality had previously invested in a plant and equipment, it remained non-operational due to a lack of technical and marketing support. "The rural municipality had sought help from many places but had not received it," Pandey noted. The DDC now plans to extend this support to other potential cheese-producing areas in Dolpa, aiming to foster commercial farming across the district.

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The municipality had already built the building and installed the equipment four years ago. The rural municipality had sought help from many places but had not received it.