Raju Chaudhary, a journalist at Kantipur Daily, the Post’s sister publication, has been honoured as the ‘Agriculture journalist of the decade’ for his consistent and impactful investigative reporting on Nepal’s dairy sector.

The Dairy Industries Association presented the honour during its 16th annual general meeting on Tuesday, coinciding with World Milk Day. Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ramnath Adhikari presented Chaudhary with a certificate and a cash prize, recognising his role in promoting and safeguarding Nepal’s dairy industry through his writings.

In addition to Chaudhary, four other journalists were also honoured for their contributions to agriculture journalism. Kiran Acharya of Taksar Magazine, Suresh Yadav of Gorkhapatra Daily, Rajesh Verma of Clickmandu.com, and Nawaraj Chalise of News 24 were also honoured.

Speaking at the event, Minister Adhikari highlighted the pressing concern of overdue payments to dairy farmers, stating that over Rs5 billion in dues remain unsettled. He urged both private dairy companies and the Dairy Development Corporation to take responsibility and ensure timely payments to farmers.