August 13, 2013
Nepal''s DDC set to produce, sell livestock feed
In the next two weeks, Nepalese government-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) is all set to produce and sell animal feed.
For fodder production, DDC is using infrastructure of now-dissolved Animal Feed Production Development Committee (AFPDC) at Hetauda Municipality-10.
DDC''s officer Arjun Humagain has been appointed manager of its new Hetauda unit. "We are working to complete the maintenance work as soon as possible," said Humagain. "We have planned to re-operate the production plant by the third week of August."
However, DDC itself will not be involved in production of animal feeds, but it will give sub-contract job to private parties, while taking the responsibility of management and quality control.
Livestockfarmers had long been pressuring the DDC to produce fodder.
The government on July 11 had dissolved the AFPDC board and handed its property to DDC for the next 25 years. Following the government''s move, DDC formed a three-member committee to study required maintenance to be carried out on the existing infrastructure.
Ishwori Raj Neupane, coordinator of the study team, said they have started repairing old machineries along with installing new advanced equipment.
Nepali farmers have been suffering from high cost for fodders. Saroj Simkhada, project chief of DDC''s Hetauda Milk Distribution, said the corporation''s move is aimed at making available cheap and quality products to farmers and reducing their production costs.
DDC has planned to produce feeds for cow and buffalo. It plans to invest NPR50 million (US$515,000) in the new business. The production plant, located on the banks of the Rapti River, is spread on seven bighas of land.
The AFPDC was established about five decades ago by the government in association with the World Food Programme of United Nations Development Programme.