Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Chakrapani Khanal on Friday assured farmers that their demand to increase milk price by Rs10 per litre would be addressed within 15 days.

In an interaction with journalists in Chitwan, Bharatpur, he said that the government has formed a taskforce to study the issue and address the dairy farmers’ demand.

“The government is serious about addressing the farmers’ demand,” Khanal said. “The farmers will get value for their production.”

Dairy farmers in Chitwan on Thursday intensified their protest to increase the price of milk. They had given the government seven days to increase the price.

Farmers have also demanded for a waiver of the tax levied on dairy products.

Khanal said that it was the government’s policy to review the price of milk every two years and urged the agitating farmers not to panic.

Khanal said that the government was launching contract farming and youth-targeted farming system soon. The government has brought forward the contract farming programme as it will help increase production.