Kawasoti, Mar.1: The farmers of East Nawalparasi protested by pouring milk on the road citing that they did not receive payment for milk. Farmers protested by blocking the East-West highway for two hours in Kawasoti on Thursday, demanding that the ‘milk holiday’ should be annulled and the government should take responsibility for the price and sale of milk.

Chairman of District Milk Producers Cooperative Union, Nawalpur, Gopal Shrestha said that they reached the District Administration Office and drew the attention of the government to address their demands, and when the demand was not met, they poured milk on the road and stopped vehicle movement on the road.

Around 50,000 litres of milk is collected daily by 15,000 farmers in the district. Of the total production, only 60 per cent has been consumed, while the situation is that 40 per cent of milk is being wasted, according to the District Milk Producers Cooperative Union.

Farmers have complained that they have not received payment for the past six months. According to the Union, the farmers are yet to receive payment of more than Rs. 150 million.

Hari Timalsina, a farmer of Kawasoti-1, said that the protest will continue until the farmers get the payment for milk. The farmers have been demanding to arrange the purchase of all the milk produced by the farmers, to pay the due amount of milk immediately.

They have also demanded to stop the import after effective investigation and monitoring of the import of milk and milk products from India. As the government is only fixing the purchase price of milk, the farmers have demanded to determine the selling price as well.