The people of Khyimdro-Nemphel chiwogs under Phobji Gewog in Wangdue Phodrang are happy with Khendro Kuenphen Milk Processing Unit (KKMPU), as they do not have to go to the market to sell their dairy products.
They say they have to spend lots of time while going to the market since their village is located far away from the market. Today, they sell the milk to the Milk Processing Unit at their village itself and receive payments on a monthly basis. The Milk Processing Unit in the community is not even a year old, yet it has already begun to help the locals.
“We could hardly sell our dairy products in a week by ourselves when we don’t sell it to the Milk Processing Unit. But, we fetch a good amount after a month when we sell it to the unit. Moreover, we are being able to save time. Likewise, we can do something beneficial when we get the lumpsum money in a month,” said Pempa, a member of KKMPU.
The Unit has currently about 47 members in the group. They sell their milk directly to the milk-processing unit and receive their payment monthly after selling the dairy products by the unit in Thimphu.
After receiving the milk, the unit put it on a weighing machine and test the quality of milk by a milk analyzer. Thereafter, they put the milk in a cream separator machine and abstract butter and cheese to be sent to the unit in Thimphu. Today, the unit in the chiwog has only two staff, including the chairman of the group.
“We receive almost 400-500 litres of milk in a day if all of our members bring, but it keeps on fluctuating. When some failed to bring their milk, we still receive at least 150-200 litres per day, presently. We pay them more than Nu 35 per litre during summer and we pay exactly Nu 35 per litre in the winter,” said Yithro Lham, the Chairperson for KKMPU.
According to the public, the milk-processing unit is immensely benefiting them, as they do not have to worry for the customers to sell their dairy products.
The unit takes their dairy products to the market in Thimphu every week and does the payment for milk to the members. They sell a ball of cheese at Nu 30 and Nu 350 for a kilogram of butter.
“We take around 200-300 kilograms of butter and 800-1000 balls of cheese every Thursday to Thimphu. We do not have a problem with marketing. We have a contact there and come back after reaching our products to them,” the chairperson for the unit said.
Today, the milk-processing unit has begun to produce Gouda Cheese and Alp Cheese apart from the cottage Cheese and Butter. The Unit also plans to produce Yogurt and Paneer soon as they are receiving enough quantity of milk from the community. The staff of the unit are well trained by the dzongkhag livestock sector and have enough skills in producing various dairy produce.
“KKMPU is running successfully and fetching good income by selling butter and cheese. They do not have to worry about the market as the dzongkhag is helping them to sell it. Likewise, we have discussed with Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation and helping the people to sell their dairy products without any hindrance,” added Ugyen, the Dzongkhag Livestock Officer in Wangdue Phodrang.
The Unit was constructed and equipped with milk processing machines by spending over Nu 2.1 M from the government. The Dzongkhag Livestock Officer says they also have a plan to establish another six Milk Processing Units in the dzongkhag during the 12th Five-Year-Plan as per the demand of the public. Khyimdro-Nemphel Chiwog has 137 households and there are five Milk Processing Units in the dzongkhag today.
