'Milky way' project: Korean cows propel Nepal's milk production sixfold

Korea Herald

26-06-2025

Three years on from Korea's heifer donation to Nepal, the impact is visible: more milk, better income and empowered women
SINDHULI, Nepal — In the hillside town of Kamalamai in Nepal's Sindhuli District, the arrival of two Korean heifers turned dairy into a chance at a better life for Nisha Karki.
As one of 51 households gifted with cows in the Korea-Nepal Model Dairy Village, she raised two Korean cows, named Sanee and Hwanggol, which produce five to six times more milk than indigenous breeds.
'I'm truly happy knowing I already own high-yield dairy cows,' she said. 'Thanks to livestock management training, I clearly understand when, how much and what kind of feed to provide to keep them healthy.'
They have proven a boon not only to her family's income, she added, but, more meaningfully, to Nepal's broader progress in the dairy sector.
Standing next to Karki, Lee Hae-won, executive director of Heifer Korea — the Korean branch of the non-profit Heifer International — hailed her farm as a model of excellence: 'She's one of the best in livestock care, from water management to overall animal husbandry.'
From recipient to donor
Named the "Milky Way" project, the initiative traces back to December 2022, when South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation; and Heifer Korea jointly transferred 100 Holstein heifers and eight breeding bulls to Nepal.
It endeavored to uplift Nepal's dairy productivity, where dairy comprises 9 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, while initiating a far-reaching transformation across the country's dairy value chain.
It in fact marked Korea's first official development aid of its kind, a shift from aid recipient to donor, and harks back to the years between 1952 and 1976, when Korea received over 3,200 animals, including dairy cows, bulls and goats, from Heifer International.
Korea now exports elite dairy cattle, with its high-performing Holsteins ranked sixth globally in milk productivity.
Behind Korea's cow breeds are decades of investment by the Agriculture Ministry in breeding programs, genetic evaluation and farmer education, reflected in a 1.5-fold increase in average annual dairy yield, from 6,868 kilograms in 1995 to 10,301 kilograms in 2022.
Korean cows outperform Nepal's native breeds by a wide margin, producing an average of 7,000 to 8,500 liters over a 305-day lactation period as of May, compared to just 950 liters from local cows.
Follow-up assistance
The project continues to offer post-donation support, from training in feed management and hygiene to veterinary services like vaccination and artificial insemination.
Also taking shape is deeper collaboration with the Nepalese government across infrastructure, genetics and technical capacity-building.
Sustained support is vital for farmers with cows as well as those still awaiting their turn.
For instance, when the Korea Herald visited the village's farmer field school on June 14, a group of 39 farmers and aspiring farmers were learning how to produce total mixed ration using locally sourced forage.
In particular, the calving of Korean cows has been a blessing for new farming households, thanks to the Passing on the Gift initiative, under which families that receive Korean cows donate their first female calves to neighbors without one.
According to Lee, the goal is to foster a self-reliant model to build a future where everyone can thrive together.
The first to give birth was Tosilee, who delivered a female calf in February last year. In a gesture of gratitude, the family named her Gamsa, the Korean word for 'thank you.'
According to Guna Kumari, owner of Tosilee and president of the Kamalamai Social Entrepreneur Women Dairy Cooperative — a women-led group representing 310 households — she and her fellow dairy farmers actively share knowledge and expertise.
'Turning milk into dairy products has become our goal for the future,' Kumari remarked.
She also observed a positive shift in Nepal's traditionally patriarchal society, where women were once largely confined to housework and childcare. 'Now, husbands are helping run the cooperative and supporting women's participation in society."