Chuchekhola becoming ‘khuwa’ hub

Krishna Prasad Timalsina, a khuwa entrepreneur of Chuchekhola in Hetauda-6 has spent four and half decades of his life in making ‘khuwa’, a dairy food made from milk. Known as the first khuwa entrepreneur in Hetauda, Timalsina, now 80, is still active and full of energy and determination at his business.

He wakes up at 5:00 am and his regular schedule of preparing khuwa goes on till 9:00 pm. He runs a khuwa shop named ‘Shree Krishna Khuwa Bhandar’ at Chuchekhola along the border of Hetauda Sub Metropolitan City-6 and 17. The shop was established 45 years ago. With the support of his son and daughter-in-law, his business has flourished. He is satisfied with the business.

Apart from supporting for the family and providing education to his three sons and a daughter, Timalsina has bought land and a house. “I am old. But I cannot quit my job. I still engage in my job with dedication,” he said. His business has now expanded. He also opened another khuwa shop in Hetauda bazaar some 23 years ago.

Chuchekhola is becoming the hub of khuwa for the food lovers. Getting less attention in the beginning, khuwa market started booming since 2038 BS. Khuwa, also called ‘kurauni’, is made from milk. Milk is boiled for around two hours until it is thickened. As its heats up, the liquid of the milk starts evaporating to thicken it. Stirring is required the whole time while it is boiling. The dairy dish is normally white and pale yellow in colour. The food is eaten as it is or it is used as an addition to various sweets.

Lately, khuwa is being also used as gifts. Not only in Nepal, people buy and take it to foreign countries as gifts, said Timalsina. Revenues from the sale of khuwa have contributed to the country’s economy. The khuwa business was not so good in the initial days, he recalled, “It was difficult to sell a kg khuwa a day at that time. Now, I sell up to 75 kgs khuwa a day.”

Price of a kg khuwa has also increased to Rs 700 from Rs 15 in the past. He has increased the consumption of milk to produce khuwa from 10 litres a day in the past to 200 litres now. Preferably, it requires buffalo milk to make khuwa. Cow milk is not preferable to produce the dairy food, he said. But lately, farmers have been attracted to raise cows instead of buffalos, thus making it difficult to manage buffalo milk for the food. He consumes up to 400 litres milk a day to make khuwa collected from various villages. Four litres milk is consumed to make a kg khuwa. He produces 75 kgs khuwa a day.

Timalsina has become an example and inspiration for people. Following in his footsteps, over a dozen khuoa shops have opened in Chuchekhola in Hetauda.

Shyam Kumar Manandhar, his neighbour, is also engaged in the business for the past 24 years. He runs a khuwa shop named ‘Krishna Kanhaiya Khuwa Bhandar’ in Chuchekhola.

His shop is flooded with customers. He consumes around 150 litres milk a day to make khuwa. He purchases milk from local dairies and farmers. Lured with good incomes from the business, many people have now taken up this. Over a dozen khuwa shops have opened in Chuchekhola, and dozens others in as far as Birgunj, Chitwan, Janakpur and Kathmandu, said Manandhar.

Started since 2056 BS, he has been earning Rs 100,000 a month from the business. Khuwa is made in the open so people can see its hygiene level, and its good smells attract people. Anyone travelling to the area is attracted to its taste. Customers are satisfied. “I have heard about the taste of khuwa of Chuchekhola. But now I have got an opportunity to savour its taste. It is too much tasty,” said Aaudhesh Chaudhary of Phatuwa Bijayapur Municipality-10 in Rautahat district while purchasing khuwa from the shop belonging to Manandhar.

Manandhar is satisfied with the business as he is according to him supporting for his family with incomes from the business, and has bought a house and plots.

Somnath Timalsina runs a khuwa shop opened some 35 years ago. The 66-year-old is supporting for his family with incomes from the business. He earns Rs 100,000 a month. His product is supplied to sweet shops in the locality and up to Pokhara. He is also facing the same problem of managing buffalo milk, as farmers have lately attracted to raise jersey cows. The khuwa business is getting threatened as a result, he said. Jersey cow produce large amounts of milk than buffalos, thus attracting farmers, he said.

In order to sustain their khuwa business, entrepreneurs have joined hands and come up with a plan. They have managed loans for the farmers to purchase buffalos to keep. In general, a buffalo is sold for Rs 100,000 in the market, which most farmers cannot afford. So, the entrepreneurs have managed for them to take loans from local cooperatives.

Lately, khuwa business has flourished with many people getting attracted to it. The local level is concerned about conserving the business. The sub metropolis has given subsidy to farmers to purchase stirring machines to make khuwa in a bid to facilitate their business, said the sub metropolis mayor Mina Kumari Lama. Efforts are underway to provide additional subsidies for the business by taking a decision from the sub metropolis executive meeting and accommodating it in its annual plan, she said, adding that the local level will encourage farmers to keep livestock and engage in the khuwa making business so as to transforming the identity of Chuchekhola into a ‘hub of khuwa’.