Milk sales transform lives of Tharu community in Shuklaphanta

Kanchanpur: The Tharu community of Shuklaphanta Municipality in Kanchanpur has recently embraced commercial buffalo farming, marking a significant shift from traditional agricultural practices. The community, which was previously dependent on subsistence farming, is now generating substantial income through milk sales and moving toward self-reliance. Earnings from milk have not only covered daily household expenses but have also helped families repay bank loans and send their children to boarding schools.

Chandralal Chaudhary of Gullarpatti, Shuklaphanta-2, has been engaged in commercial buffalo farming for the past six years. He supplies seven liters of milk daily to a dairy, earning more than Rs 14,700 per month. Sharing his experience, Chaudhary said that earlier it was difficult to pay the installments on a tractor purchased through a bank loan, but income from buffalo milk has now made it manageable. He personally handles all aspects of the work, from feeding the buffaloes to milking them.

Others in the community have also benefited from this initiative. Ward No. 11 member Jaisingh Rana said commercial buffalo farming has enabled him to save on household expenses and even lend money to others. Similarly, Taula Rana from the same ward is meeting his grandchildren’s boarding school expenses through income from milk sales.

A growing sense of professionalism is now evident within the Tharu community, which was once hesitant to sell milk. According to Lalit Hamal, owner of the local Aanchal Dairy, where only one or two individuals previously supplied milk, more than 30 Tharu farmers are now regular suppliers. Farmers are further encouraged by the dairy’s practice of making immediate payments based on milk quality.

Commercial buffalo farming has significantly improved the living standards of economically disadvantaged Tharu families. Beyond providing a sustainable source of income, it has also set an example of local self-employment and fostered a culture of saving within the community.