Dolpa, August 23
Commercial production of yak cheese is set to begin for the first time in Jagdulla Rural Municipality of Dolpa district in Karnali Province.
For this purpose, Jagdulla Rural Municipality and the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) signed an agreement on Saturday to operate a cheese industry and produce cheese.
Under the agreement to operate the industry at Bhalu Commercial Chauri Farm in Jagdulla Rural Municipality-4, the DDC will provide training on yak cheese production as well as the necessary technical support.
The rural municipality will be responsible for regular cheese production after receiving technical assistance, while the DDC will purchase the cheese produced by the municipality.
The agreement was signed by DDC General Manager Dr Sharan Kumar Pandey and Jagdulla Rural Municipality Chairperson Narasingh Rokaya.
Following the agreement, the DDC said it would immediately send a technical team from Kathmandu to begin work to operate the industry.
According to DDC General Manager Pandey, the facility has the potential to produce around 30 tonnes of yak cheese annually.
Located at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, the area is considered suitable for yak and chauri farming. Dolpa is one of the districts with a large number of chauri in the country.
Locals expect the cheese produced here to have a distinctive taste and quality because yaks and chauri in Dolpa graze on various high-altitude plants, including yarsagumba.
The launch of commercial yak cheese production for the first time in Karnali is expected to help link chauri farming with commercial enterprise, expand the market for local products and increase farmers’ incomes.
