A milk-processing centre business slows down in winter, Lhuentse

Feb 15, 2020

A milk-processing centre in Minjey Gewog of Lhuentse is struggling to sustain these days. Although business is good in the summer, supply of milk from its group members declines during the winter.

Lhamo Norguen Phendhey Tshogpa was established in 2013 to promote dairy products in the community. 35-year-old Jampel Dema from Jalang chiwog in Minjey has been working for the Centre for the last one year. Every day, she churns the milk collected from the members to process cheese and butter. She buys milk for Nu 35a litre and then sells the butter and cheese in Thimphu. Although business reaches its peak in summer, she says during winter she sometimes incurs losses.

“There is a high production of dairy products during the summer. However, during winter the production of milk, butter and cheese goes down,” shares Jampel Dema, from the Lhamo Norguen Phendhey Tshogpa in Minjey Gewog, Lhuentse.

Jampel sells dairy products through retailers in Thimphu. She charges Nu 300 for a kilogram of butter and Nu 40 for one ball of cheese. But with business slow in winter, Jampel says she spends her free time weaving.

“In summer I have to struggle alone for the whole day because there is a lot of milk supply. I have been working here for one year. But during winter since there is not much work, I spend time weaving Kira,” she added.

During the peak season in summer, Jampel produces around one hundred cheese balls and ten kilograms of butter every day. But the story is different during winter as production falls to less than half of that amount. However, if the milk-processing centre goes well, the dzongkhag livestock sector is planning to recruit more employees for the centre to produce yoghurt and supply it to schools.

Currently, there are more than 20 members in the group.

Sonam Tshering