Tapping the usefulness of non-bovine milk

The demand for the milk of non-bovine (other than cows and buffaloes) animals, such as goats, sheep, camels, donkeys, and yaks, has begun to swell, thanks to the growing awareness of their nutritional and therapeutic virtues. Several commercial ventures, including start-ups and established dairy brands, have begun manufacturing products like milk powder, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, chocolates, cosmetic products, and various other kinds of specialty items with non-bovine milk. The milk of goats and camels and their products are readily available in major dairy product outlets and online marketing channels. In Europe, donkey farms have come up on the lines of cow-based dairy farms to meet the requirements of baby food manufacturers. This milk is deemed closest to human milk in its composition and digestibility and has been used for ages in many countries as an alternative to mother’s milk. It is now finding a new application in stamina-boosting drinks for sports persons because it is low in cholesterol and fat but high in energy.

Non-bovine milk products are also increasingly being used as carriers of probiotics (health-boosting microorganisms found in products like yoghurt) in fitness foods and as healing agents in various drug formulations. Many doctors now routinely prescribe camel milk for children suffering from autism (social interaction disorder among kids), goat milk for dengue patients, and the milk of donkeys and other animals for various other diseases. This has created a special niche market for these types of milk, besides boosting their prices. Little wonder, therefore, that goat milk was sold at more than Rs 300 a litre in Amritsar (Punjab) during the dengue outbreak last September. This milk is believed to boost the platelet count in blood and quicken recovery of dengue patients.

The specific healing qualities and other valuable traits of the milk of various non-bovine animals have been documented lucidly in a recent publication (Policy Paper No. 97) brought out by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The Academy’s president and director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Trilochan Mohapatra, has pointed out in the preface to this publication that non-bovine milk could be an excellent functional food and also a key ingredient in pharmaceuticals. This milk could be used for preparing super foods, bio-functional immunity-boosting food supplements, and pharmaceuticals to impart immunity to human beings against several diseases, including Covid.
 

According to this document, camel milk is useful in managing diabetes, tuberculosis, and viral and bacterial infections, apart from autism. Goat milk is believed to be useful for cardio-vascular diseases, allergies, inflammation, diarrhoea, chikungunya, asthma, and eczema, apart from dengue. Sheep milk is an excellent source of bioactive peptides (amino acids) found useful in heart diseases, epilepsy in children, cysts, gall stones, and bacterial and viral infections.

Donkey milk can be helpful in managing dermatitis and other skin diseases, hepatitis, gastric ulcers, and cardio-vascular ailments. The milk of yaks, which is available aplenty in the upper hilly tracks, is thought to be good for hypertension, diabetes, cardio-vascular troubles, and cancer.

The commercial importance of the milk aside, these non-bovine animals merit greater attention for other reasons as well. They are generally reared by the poor and landless people for their livelihood. They are valued also for their meat and other products like hair (wool) and skin (hide). Some of them are used as draught animals for transportation and farm work.

Shrinking grazing resources are becoming a major constraint in maintaining these animals. Consequently, the population of some of these species is either stagnant or dwindling, especially in areas where common grazing grounds have vanished or are in poor shape. This issue needs to be addressed expeditiously. Besides, well-advised breeding policies are needed for the genetic upgrade of non-bovine mammals to boost their productivity. One way to do so could be to open up the health care and artificial insemination network meant for the bovines for the non-bovines as well.

However, the development policies for these animals need to be crafted carefully, keeping in view the eco-systems under which these are being maintained by the under-privileged sections of society. There have been instances where the measures taken to prevent the decline in their count have backfired. The Rajasthan’s camel protection law —the Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 2015 —is a striking case in point. Though enacted with the good intention of stemming the downturn in the camel population, it has actually accelerated the decline. By barring the transportation of camels out of Rajasthan, it has virtually destroyed the market for these animals, disincentivising camel herders to breed and bring them up for sale. As a result, the camel population is estimated to have shrunk by a huge 35 per cent.

The need, therefore, is to incentivise the pharmaceuticals and health foods industries to gainfully exploit the therapeutic traits of non-bovine milk by developing innovative products for domestic and export markets. This would ensure demand-driven and sustained growth in the non-bovine milk sector.

surinder.sud@gmail.com