From Dubai dreams to dairy success: Kanchanpur farmer earns one lakh monthly through milk sales

Kanchanpur: Jagadish Prasad Pandey of Bhimdatta Municipality-15, Kanchanpur, has turned a challenging situation into a thriving business, earning a monthly income of one lakh rupees by selling milk.

Pandey, who was previously working in Dubai, returned home after the passing of his father in 2076 BS and had planned to return abroad for employment. However, his plans were halted when international flights were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing limited employment opportunities in Nepal, he decided to explore local business avenues. He purchased a cow for Rs. 30,000 and started selling milk. “There was no employment, and due to COVID, I could not even go abroad, so I thought I should do something to earn a living,” he said. Noticing a growing demand for milk, he added another cow after six months.

After recovering the cost of the first cow through milk sales, Pandey transitioned to buffalo farming, as the demand for buffalo milk surpassed that of cow milk. He initially bought three buffaloes and has now expanded his farm to 32 buffaloes of various sizes.

“After recovering the initial investment, I added another cow. Even then, the demand for milk remained high. More people came to buy buffalo milk than cow milk,” Pandey explained. “I then bought three buffaloes and started buffalo farming professionally. Each year, as demand increased, I kept adding more buffaloes.”

Currently, Pandey sells 40 liters of milk daily—five buffaloes provide milk twice a day, and seven provide milk once in the morning. His business has also created employment for three individuals. His wife, Saraswati Pandey, actively supports the farm operations.

“Currently, we sell up to 40 liters of milk daily at Rs. 90 per liter, directly at the village doorsteps,” he said. The income supports the education of their children—his son is studying civil engineering, and his daughter is pursuing MBBS. In addition to milk, the Pandey family generates income from cow dung and padapadi sales.

“We earn Rs. 1.2 million annually from milk sales and Rs. 3 million from cow dung sales. Altogether, our annual income reaches up to Rs. 1.6 million,” he added. The buffalo farm operates on one bigha of his own land, while he rents an additional five bighas for buffalo feed. He has also planted grass on two bighas and grains on the remaining land.

“Since buffalo farming allows us to sell everything—from milk to dung and fertilizer—there is no loss if we work hard at home,” Pandey noted.

While expressing satisfaction with his earnings from local business, Pandey highlighted the lack of government support for young entrepreneurs. “Earning money through business in our own country is more fulfilling than working abroad. If the state supports real farmers, it will benefit those who work hard at home,” he said.