Kutch - A hub of Camel milk in the making

The Kutch District Milk Producers Union Limited, popularly known as Sarhad Dairy, organised a symposium on Camel Milk, bringing together dairy cooperative leaders, academicians, researchers, camel rearers, and doctors, to discuss the therapeutic and other benefits of camel milk and how it can be popularised. The symposium was organised in Kutch as part of the International Year of Camelids celebrations by the United Nations.

In his remarks, Valamji Humbal, Sarhad Dairy Chairman, said they were fortunate to have taken up the task of organising camel milk producers at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s insistence in 2012.

“There were no takers of camel milk and the condition of camel milk farmers was very poor compared with dairy farmers. Producers were selling their herd as a result. With the support of Sahjeevan and Maldhari organisations, we could organise them. We set up the country’s first automated camel milk processing plant in 2019. Today, we collect around 5,000 litres of camel milk per day from 350 families, which is used to make a range of products including flavoured milk, spray-dried milk powder and chocolates. Work to develop cheese, fermented milk products, coffee mix and other powders based on camel milk is under progress,” he said.

He proudly informed that the prime minister last month commissioned Sarhad Dairy’s plant where ice cream is made using camel milk. He expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for his keen interest in the activities of Sarhad Dairy.