Kathmandu: Sales of yak cheese produced by the state-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have surged by around 30 percent after Prime Minister Balendra Shah promoted the product on social media over the weekend.
The prime minister shared a post captioned “Say Cheese, DDC’s Cheese,” drawing widespread public attention to the traditional Himalayan product. Since then, DDC outlets across Nepal have reported a sharp rise in customer inquiries and purchases.
According to Sanjiv Kumar Jha, head of DDC’s marketing department and former general manager, demand has climbed significantly since Sunday, although supply remains sufficient. Consumers visiting DDC outlets for milk, yoghurt, or sweets are now increasingly buying yak cheese as well, with many specifically asking for it by name.
“Every day, between 50 and 100 people are now asking about yak cheese because of the prime minister’s promotion,” Jha said. “Customers who come for other dairy products are also purchasing between 100 and 500 grams of cheese. Compared to earlier sales trends, the market has grown by around 30 percent.”
DDC currently sells vacuum-packed yak cheese in 100-gram, 200-gram, and 500-gram packages, with the 200-gram pack proving the most popular among buyers. The corporation still holds around 4,500 kilograms in stock and says rumours of products being sold out are exaggerated.
Yak cheese is priced at Rs 1,880 per kilogram. Vacuum-packed 500-gram packs retail for Rs 960, while 200-gram packs cost Rs 395.
Jha noted that the recent sales boom is being driven largely by new customers rather than longtime buyers. Existing consumers continue to purchase smaller regular quantities, while first-time buyers have started flocking to DDC counters after the online publicity campaign.
DDC produces roughly 117,000 kilograms of yak cheese annually. Production mainly takes place between Baisakh and Kartik, when milk supply from yaks and chauri cattle is at its peak. Cheese produced during those seven months is distributed throughout the year.
The cheese is made from the milk of yaks and chauri cattle raised in Nepal’s high Himalayan regions. DDC says it pays farmers directly in cash and has already disbursed around Rs 60 million to producers during the previous season. For the new production season that began in Baisakh, farmers have already received 50 percent advance payments.
To support herders in remote mountain regions, DDC also provides essentials such as tarpaulins, bamboo, and salt in addition to advanced financing.
Around 30 to 40 percent of total cheese production is sold locally in Himalayan districts, particularly to foreign trekkers who buy the product during mountain expeditions. The remaining 60 percent is transported to Kathmandu, vacuum-packed, and distributed across Nepal.
Although DDC itself does not export yak cheese directly, Nepali traders have been supplying it to international markets, especially in Hong Kong and Singapore. Foreign tourists also frequently carry yak cheese home as souvenirs, helping expand its international recognition.
DDC says Nepali yak cheese has steadily built a distinct identity in both domestic and overseas markets while contributing significantly to the livelihoods of Himalayan farmers.
The corporation currently operates nine active yak cheese production centres across the districts of Rasuwa, Dolakha, Ramechhap, and Solukhumbu. Two older production centres in Ramechhap remain closed.
Through these nine centres, DDC collects more than 623,000 litres of milk annually from around 3,450 yaks and chauri cattle, producing nearly 117,000 kilograms of yak cheese and over 20,000 kilograms of butter each season. Farmers collectively earn more than Rs 53 million in cash income during a single production season.
Nepal’s first yak cheese production centre was established in Langtang, Rasuwa, in 1952 with Swiss government support. Today, the Kyanjin Cheese Production Centre in Langtang, located at an altitude of 3,870 meters, is considered the world’s highest-altitude cheese factory.
Several production centres in Rasuwa, including Gosainkunda, Gatlang, Panglekhark, and Tatopani, continue to operate through mobile seasonal units that move with yak herders between alpine grazing grounds. Similar centres also operate in Chordung and Chankhu in Dolakha, Pinke in Solukhumbu, and Thodung in Ramechhap.
DDC officials describe the cheese as a certified organic product with medicinal qualities. According to the corporation, yaks and chauri cattle graze entirely on natural Himalayan grasses and medicinal herbs such as yarsagumba and panch aunle, without consuming artificial feed.
“The animals graze freely in high mountain pastures filled with valuable herbs, which give the milk and cheese distinctive nutritional and medicinal properties,” said DDC information officer Neelkantha Gautam.
The production process is also highly specialized. Traditional rennet is used to prepare the cheese, which is then aged for between 45 and 120 days to develop flavour and texture. A unique saltwater washing technique helps preserve the cheese for more than a year.
DDC pays yak herders between Rs 95 and Rs 110 per litre of milk, depending on fat content — nearly double the rate typically paid for ordinary cow or buffalo milk. Producing one kilogram of yak cheese requires about 10 litres of pure yak milk.
Despite the product’s growing popularity and export potential, the industry faces mounting challenges. DDC warns that migration from mountain villages and declining interest among younger generations in yak herding threaten the future of production.
Many remote production centres still lack electricity, making modernization difficult. Veterinary services remain limited in Himalayan areas, grazing land is shrinking, and recruiting skilled cheese makers willing to work in isolated mountain regions has become increasingly difficult.
The recent wave of attention sparked by Prime Minister Shah’s social media post has renewed public appreciation for Nepal’s traditional mountain products. But DDC officials say sustaining the legacy of Nepali yak cheese will require more than consumer enthusiasm alone. They argue that stronger government support for Himalayan infrastructure, livestock services, and farmer incentives is essential for the industry’s long-term survival.
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