Farmers Awaiting NPR 500 Million from DDC: Should They Laugh or Cry?

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has promoted government products by sharing a photo on social media of himself eating cheese produced by the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC). However, the DDC is currently facing quality issues, delays in payments to farmers, and operating at a financial loss, which has weakened the institution’s credibility. Dr. Sharan Pandey, the General Manager of the DDC, has committed to implementing improvement plans and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on quality. Report from Kathmandu, 6 Jestha.

When a country’s chief executive personally endorses a product by holding it and sharing it on social media, it serves as powerful advertising. Recently, Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah posted a photo of himself eating cheese from the Dairy Development Corporation, writing, “This is cheese, DDC’s cheese… DDC belongs to the Nepal government, bros-sis.” Following this free publicity by the Prime Minister, the fully government-owned DDC suddenly became widely discussed. Previously, Shah had promoted Udayapur Cement, another government entity, and many praised his apparent affection for public enterprises through these social media endorsements.

However, looking back at political history in Nepal, when ministers or prime ministers tried to promote state-owned companies or institutions, their efforts were often met with loud criticism rather than applause. In the past, attempts by political leaders to support Nepal Airlines Corporation, Udayapur Cement, Hetauda Textile Industry, or Gorkhakhali Rubber Industry were harshly criticized both on social media and among the general public. The primary reason for this was a crisis of trust; the common perception was that these government enterprises failed largely because of the traditional political parties and leaders themselves.