Back to news
23 Mar 2022 | Press releases

Assured markets for yak dairy products to sustain an age-old herding culture in the Kangchenjunga Landscape

This press statement is prepared for release after the agreement signing between Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited (SDCL), Nepal Dairy Pvt. Ltd. (NDPL), and ICIMOD on 23 March 2022, Wednesday.

1 min Read

70% Complete
Yak value chain development and market linkage under Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative Signing Letter of Intent between, Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited (SDCL) Falelung, Panchthar, Nepal Dairy Pvt. Ltd. (NDPL) Hattiban, Lalitpur and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Khumaltar, Lalitpur on 23 March 2022 at ICIMOD. Photo: Jitendra Raj Bajracharya/ICIMOD.

On 23 March 2022, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited (SDCL), and Nepal Dairy Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) signed a tripartite agreement to promote yak dairy enterprise that can sustain the age-old yak herding culture in the highlands of Eastern Nepal.

The initiative aims to develop a viable yak-based business model to generate attractive and sustainable employment opportunities for rural youth in the Kangchenjunga Landscape of Nepal. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD, Heramba B. Rajbhandary, Executive Chairman, NDPL, and Maita Bahadur Libang, Chairperson, SDCL signed the LoI.

Challenges imposed by climate change and socioeconomic drivers have reduced interest in yak herding. In 2009, the Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited, an institution formed by the yak and cattle farmers in Panchthar district, Nepal, ventured into yak dairy processing. The cooperative, however, has not been able to succeed due to its limited capacity to link up with the markets.

Motivated by the mission to save yaks and yak farming culture from extinction and showcase their economic viability, the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) under ICIMOD approached NDPL for a partnership in processing, product diversification, and market linkages for yak products. This partnership is expected to deliver a successful model of yak-based enterprise to attract and engage youth in the landscape to sustain the yak herding culture.


For more information, please contact

Anshu Pandey

Media Associate

media@icimod.org

Mobile: +977 9849920539

 

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up
12 Nov 2014 Press releases
Experts come together to find climate change adaptation solutions beyond boundaries in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

Experts from the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region and around the world came together to map new ways forward for sharing ...

11 Sep 2024 Press releases
Disaster experts from Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan convene in Islamabad to increase regional capacity to manage and respond to rising risks in mountains

Islamabad – 11 September 2024 – Professionals from key disaster management agencies from Bhutan and Nepal are in Islamabad this week to learn pioneering ...

3 Apr 2023 Press releases
UNCDF partner with ICIMOD for adaptation action in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Kathmandu, 3 April: The UN Capital Development Fund, UNCDF, is partnering with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD, ...

2 Sep 2016 Press releases
Managing climate and social risks key to hydropower development

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region has nearly 500 GW hydropower potential, but only a fraction of it has been ...

10 Jun 2022 Press releases
UNDP and ICIMOD sign an agreement to build resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayan countries

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), headquartered in Nepal, entered into a partnership to promote ...

16 Dec 2021 Press releases
IUCN report identifies sites with World Heritage potential in Himalaya and beyond

A new report lists seven broad areas in the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram mountain ranges where new ...

1 Mar 2016 Press releases
Nepal gears up to build earthquake resistant structures using bamboo

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Agni Prasad Sapkota, Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation ...