Ashok Kumar Thakuri is a
goat-cheese entrepreneur and manufacturer in Chitlang VDC of Makwanpur
district, the destination for team Biruwa on the first of July. The Biruwa team
– interns, clients and friends – made a pleasant 5 hours hike from Thankot under
the cool monsoon clouds to the beautiful Chitlang valley. The village is
nestled amidst lush forests, giving us a fresh break from the bustle and
pollution of Kathmandu valley. Nature aside, our primary goal for the day was
to reach this successful local entrepreneur, Mr Thakuri, and understand how he
got into the business of making goat cheese.
Mr.
Thakuri’s base of operation in Chitlang was a fitting location to such an
innovative endeavor. Upon walking through the town’s picturesque layout we come
across Chitlang’s goat cheese factory and found Mr. Thakuri busy right in to how it all really started.
Goat
cheese is a niche market in Kathmandu; only a small number of locals and
international visitors appreciate good goat cheese. Mr. Thakuri though, has
been able to cultivate a niche market, which has supported his factory
providing a credible example of individual initiative and leadership at the
local level, which is especially inspiring given Nepal’s entrepreneurial
climate.
Mr.
Thakuri did not know French, but despite this language barrier he learned the
art of cheese making by observing what his instructors did. Often not knowing
why certain things were done, and unable to properly ask, he still stuck with
it. After a few weeks in France he returned to Nepal, convinced that he could
replicate the simple and delicate art of cheese making.
Mr.
Thakuri gave us a tour of his facility, explaining us how exactly his business
operates. He had a goat farm a few minutes away from his factory, where he had
about 70 goats, and whom he says contribute an average of half a liter of milk
a day. The goats are fed special grass and beets that produce higher quality
milk, which Mr. Thakuri claims is essential for good cheese. Then he led us to
his cheese factory which was the building right next to his home-stay house.
Provisions were made for hygiene, as we put on hairnets and covered our shoes.
The goat milk is pasteurized for hours and let to cool at two different
temperatures, one for hard cheese and one for soft cheese. The soft cheese was
refrigerated for about two weeks, while the hard cheese was refrigerated for
two months. The valley did not have any load-shedding and we began to understand
the lure of starting the business in such a location.Mr Thakuri said the cheese
could also be cooled down in underground chambers, although there would be
added external factors to account for.
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