GELEPHU, India: Every morning, before dawn has fully broken over the Bhutan-India border, a familiar bustle unfolds in Dadgari, a small town in Assam’s Chirang district, right across the border gate in Gelephu.
By 6 am Indian Standard Time, residents begin gathering along the roadside near the border gate. Some arrive carrying steel containers, jerry cans and reusable bottles. Others come straight from their homes, still dressed in pyjamas.
All are waiting for the same thing: the arrival of a white milk van from Bhutan.
The vehicle belongs to Gelephu Om Detshen, a dairy cooperative that collects and markets fresh milk from dairy farmers in Gelephu.
While Indian workers stream through the border gate each morning for another day of work in Gelephu, a second queue forms beside the milk van. For many residents of Dadgari, securing a supply of fresh Bhutanese milk has become an essential part of the day.
In a country often defined by its dependence on imports, the early morning milk vans crossing from Gelephu into India tell another story of Bhutanese farmers supplying fresh milk beyond the border. If Bhutanese consume any milk-related product today in Dadgari, chances are it is made from milk supplied by farmers from Bhutan.
For many residents of Dadgari, the milk van has become part of their morning ritual. Tea stall owners, sweet shop operators, temple caretakers, hotel workers and households line up every day before sunrise, hoping the milk does not run out before their turn arrives.
The demand for milk is strong because local dairy production in the area is limited. Most residents rely on daily wage labour or small businesses, while milk supplied from nearby Indian villages arrives inconsistently and often later in the morning. Bhutanese milk, although slightly more expensive, has earned a reputation for freshness and reliability.
“The Bhutanese milk costs a little more than milk from our Indian suppliers, but this is consistent,” said Sothi San, who runs a small tea stall near the border gate. “Customers complain when I use milk powder. They prefer tea made from fresh milk, so I have to buy it somehow every day.”
The first delivery of the morning is particularly important. Sweet shops require milk before beginning preparations for the day, while many Hindu households and temples use fresh milk for morning prayers and religious offerings.
By 6.30 am Bhutan Standard Time, the milk van carrying around 220 litres of milk in steel containers crosses into Dadgari. Its final stop is near the checkpoint operated by India’s Sashastra Seema Bal, where security personnel are among the regular customers waiting for the day’s supply.
By the time the van reaches its last stop, most of the milk has already been sold.
And when the milk runs out, disappointment spreads quickly. Some complain, some ask whether another trip will come later in the day, while others walk away carrying empty containers.
During peak production season, the cooperative makes two trips to Dadgari each day. In winter and spring, however, milk yields decline because of seasonal factors such as feed availability and animal health, limiting deliveries to a single trip.
Across the border in Gelephu, the day for farmers begins much earlier.
In small household dairy farms spread across Gelephu Gewog and parts of Samtenling, farmers start milking their cows before dawn. Fresh milk is poured into steel cans before being transported to collection centres.
The Gelephu Om Detshen has 134 active members, owning 402 milking cows. The cooperative operates 10 milk collection centres.
Apart from cross-border sales, the milk is sold at the Gelephu Bounty Market counter and supplied to sweet shops and businesses in Gelephu, including ice cream parlours.
Milk sales generate substantial income for farming households, providing an important source of livelihood in rural areas.
By mid-morning, the last container is usually empty. The van returns to Gelephu carrying empty steel cans clanking in the back, only to repeat the same journey again the following morning, before sunrise. - Kuensel/ANN
