Piyo Glassful Doodh...

Doodh, doodh, doodh, doodh...
Piyo daily once or twice,
Miljayega tasty surprise...
Doodh hai mast in every season,
Piyo doodh for healthy reason,
Rahoge fir fit and fine,
Jiyoge past 99,
Doodh, dooodh, doooodh,doooodh!
Charo aur mach gaya shor,
Give me more, give me more...

This infectious jingle created by FCB Ulka in the 1990s to help the National Dairy Development Board to get kids to drink the ‘healthy’ milk,when addictive colas had caught on, got so many saying ‘give me more’ that milk production in India has since almost trippled – 55.6 mn tonnes in 1991-92 to 135 mn tonnes in 2015-16, as per the union Department of Animal Husbandry. 

Traditionally though “selling milk was a social taboo, seen as an act depriving calves of their mothers’ milk,” says Dr Raghvendar Singh, principal scientist, Indian Council on Agricutural Research, National Research Centre (NRC) on Camel, Bikaner. Things changed after the 70s’ ‘white revolution’ spearheaded by the late Varghese Kurian with Operation Flood. We’ve taken over the US (back then the world’s largest milk producer generating 53.07 mn tonnes, compared to India’s 20 mn tonnes) to ace the list in 2013 with 135 mn tonnes (the US’s ouput was 91.27 mn tonnes).

Although the milk ad ends with an animated cow going ‘moooo’, India consumes milk of buffaloes, goats, camels, yaks and donkeys. Here’s a look at their trajectories:

Donkey Milk

If you look down upon an animal, would you seek it for sustenance? Not really. Donkey’s milk suffers social stigma even though research shows it’s closest to human milk in composition. But as it is perceived to be a remedy for cough, liver problems and fatigue, down South, people reportedly pay as much as `50/spoon! Dr Yash Pal, principal scientist at NRC for Equines, says, “In Karnataka, the low-fat, high-in-iron milk is consumed by those allergic to proteins found in cow or buffalo milk and asthma patients. But these claims need scientific validation.”A paper by Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Pondicherry, reveals that in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, grandmothers administer donkey milk to newborns for enhanced voice, growth and brain development. But it also notes a couple of neonatal deaths due to this. Breeders usually amble down lanes of villages and cities in South India with their donkeys, offering fresh milk to patrons.

Goat Milk

Goat cheese (imported) has caught on, but as per Dr Rajan Sharma of National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), goat milk forms just about four per cent of the country’s overall milk consumption, spread over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, and in recent times, Punjab and Bihar. Rearers only sell the excess milk, post home-consumption. Better infrastructure enables higher production in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and only a handful dairies sell it commercially. Although its peculiar odour is quite a turn off, “believed to cure dengue and chikungunya, the demand for goat milk soars when there’s an outbreak, with prices shooting to `1,000/ltr from the usual `25 – 30/ltr,” says Dr Anupam Kumar Dixit, senior scientist, Central Institute for Research on Goats (CIRG). But these remedial properties are yet to be scientifically validated. “Use of raw goat milk has led to deaths, so AIIMS suggests boiling and drinking,” adds CIRG’s livestock technology scientist, Dr V Rajkumar. CIRG has patented a herbal supplement that masks the milk’s odour and tried out goat-milk biscuits, paneer and herbal whey.

Yak Milk

Found at very high altitudes, these furry fellows reside in Sikkim, Garhwal, Himachal and Ladakh. Forming part of folk traditions and folklore, they have great religious significance among Buddhists, especially the Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh, who only offer yak-milk ghee in Gompas. “From foothills to 5,000 ft you’ll find mithuns, from 5,000 – 10,000 ft yak and cattle cross-breeds and beyond 10,000 upto 17,000 feet, yaks. Locals in these places make cheese and chewy sweets out of it, but yak milk is largely bartered, or at best sold by individuals,” explains Dr. T K Mohanty, Principal Scientist, NDRI-ABRC (Artificial Breeding Research Centre). The high-fat milk is also protein-rich due to alpine pastures that yaks graze on. But yak numbers are declining as the younger generation is no longer keen on the expensive and laborous task of rearing.

Camel Milk

Rajasthan’s Raikas, and a few other communities, have been caretakers of the ship of the desert since time immemorial. “They never sold camel milk earlier, believing their family will be finished if they do so,” says Dr Raghvendar Singh. The sentiment possibly stems from the fact that Raikas grow up with their camels and consider them family, as noted by People’s Archive of Rural India. But shrinking grazing-lands and restrictive government policies have made camel rearing unviable, and lead to a decline in their population. Singh say the decline is due to camels are no longer being used for transport. In 1996, realising the need to aid Raikas with veterinary support, after meeting German researcher Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, Hanwant Singh, a business man, founded Lokhit Pashu Palak Sanshthan that has expanded to include capacity-building, grazing-rights advocacy, etc. And in 2010, they started Camel Charisma to make camel breeding viable by providing economic incentives through developing products from camel-milk, wool and dung. You can buy them at their stores in Pali and Ranakpur, or have them home-delivered by visiting their website. National Research Centre on Camels in Bikaner has been doing scientific studies on camel milk, led by NDRI director, RR B Singh. Their tests on mice have proved that it aids in treating Type 1 diabetes. They are promoting camel milk through pedas, burfis and milk powder. Similar efforts are on in Gujarat; Amul has plans to launch 500ml camel milk bottles. Meanwhile, the world is celebrating camel milk as the new superfood considered mineral-rich, good for autistic kids and those suffering from liver and kidney disorders.

Cow and Buffalo Milk

The lean cow milk and thick, rich buffalo milk comprise close to 96 per cent of India’s total milk consumption with the buffalo getting a slightly bigger share of the pie. “Their popularity varies from region to region, with buffalo milk being more popular in the north and parts of the west, whereas cow milk is more popular in the south and east. Utility also plays a role – khoa is best made from buffalo milk, whereas rasogolla from cow milk,” explains Rajan Sharma, NDRI-Dairy Chemistry Division. A study done in New Zealand in the 80s showed that milk from newer breed having the A1 gene, increase risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorder, which is not the case with older breeds, belonging to India and Africa, that have the A2 gene. Controlled studies are required for validation, but Sharma says, “Several countries are following the hypothesis as precaution.” Few Indian dairies and online portals are promoting A2 milk and milk products.