The National Dairy Development Centre under the Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in collaboration with the Bhutan Standards Bureau under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, is currently conducting a five day consultative workshop from 1-5 April 2026 at Lobesa, Punakha. This workshop is being convened through the sub-committee for Milk and Milk Products with the objective of developing National Standards for Raw Milk, Pasteurized Milk, and Yoghurt.
The consultative process brings together a wide range of key stakeholders, including technical experts and officials from the Department of Livestock, Bhutan Food and Drug Authority, Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, National Post Harvest Centre, Koufuku International Limited, as well as representatives of dairy farmer groups from Thimphu, Chhukha, Wangdue Phodrang, and Trashigang. This inclusive participation ensures that the standards being developed are practical, scientifically sound, and reflective of ground realities across the dairy value chain.
The primary objective of the workshop is to gather comprehensive inputs from all stakeholders and formulate robust and nationally applicable standards for milk and yoghurt. These standards will serve as a critical foundation for improving the overall quality, safety, and consistency of dairy products in the country. By clearly defining parameters for production, handling, processing, and marketing, the standards will promote hygienic practices across the entire dairy value chain, from farm to consumer.
Importantly, this initiative builds on the progress already made by the Centre, where National Standards for cheese and butter have been developed. The current effort therefore represents a continuation and strengthening of Bhutanโs broader agenda to establish a comprehensive standards framework across all major dairy products. The development of these standards is strategically aligned with the priorities of the 13th Five Year Plan of the Department of Livestock, which ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ. Under this system, the price that farmers receive will be determined by the quality of milk they produce, rather than solely by the volume supplied. This marks a significant shift towards a more performance driven and quality oriented dairy sector.
The establishment of clear national standards is therefore a prerequisite for the successful implementation of such a pricing mechanism. Without standardized benchmarks for quality parameters such as hygiene, composition, and safety, it would not be possible to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency in milk grading and pricing. These standards will enable objective assessment of milk quality, thereby ensuring that farmers who invest in better practices receive higher returns.
At the same time, the introduction of standards will directly benefit consumers by ensuring access to safe, hygienic, and high quality milk and milk products. This will strengthen consumer confidence in domestically produced dairy products and contribute to improved public health outcomes.
In the broader context, the development and enforcement of National Standards for milk and yoghurt will play a transformative role in advancing the commercialization of the dairy sector. It will support product diversification, enhance value addition, and reduce dependence on imports by strengthening the competitiveness of locally produced dairy products. Ultimately, this initiative represents a critical step towards building a modern, resilient, and quality driven dairy industry in Bhutan.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ.
๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐บ: ๐๐๐๐, ๐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ
