A man in Gujarat, who supplies donkey milk to the customers in southern states is earning Rs. 2-3 lakh a month.

The man is identified as Dhiren Solanki from the Patan district of Gujarat. He set up his donkey farm with 42 donkeys in his village and is earning Rs. 2-3 lakh a month by supplying donkey milk to customers in southern states.

Talking about his journey, Dhiran Solanki says that initially, he had been searching for a government job. Solanki said that he found some private jobs but, the pay would barely cover his family expenses. About that time, he came to know about donkey rearing in South India. He also met some people, and about eight months back he set up his donkey farm in his village.

Solanki said that his donkey rearing business started with 20 donkeys and he invested Rs. 22 lakh in it. He also said that the beginning of his business was difficult as there was no demand for donkey milk in Gujarat, he earned nothing in the first five months. Then he started approaching companies located in south India where there is a demand for donkey milk.

Solanki now supplies donkey milk to Kerala and Karnataka and also to cosmetic companies, that utilize donkey milk in their products. Talking about the price range Solanki said that compared to cow milk which is about Rs. 65 per litre, the price ranges from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,000 per litre and to maintain the freshness of donkey milk he said that the milk is stored in freezers. The donkey milk is also dried and sold in powder form to clients who choose powdered milk. The price range of powdered milk reaches up to over 1 lakh for a kg.

Now, Solanki’s donkey farm has 42 donkeys, and he has invested Rs. 38 lakh in the farm. Solanki said that so far he has not taken any aid from the state government, but he strives to increase his business and focus on this sector. He also set up an online portal to reach his customers and his website shows that the annual turnover of the company is between Rs. 0.5 crore to Rs. 2.5 crore.

Donkey milk was more popular during ancient times. Egyptian queen Cleopatra used to bathe in donkey milk to nurture her skin's glow and beauty. She needed about 700 donkeys daily for the milk. The father of medicine, the Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed donkey milk for liver problems, infectious diseases, nosebleeds, fevers, and poisonings according to the publication.

As per the US National Library of Medicine, compared to cow milk the constitution of donkey milk is nearly similar to human milk making it a considerable option for newborns and infants, particularly those who are allergic to cow milk. According to the report, another significant aspect of donkey milk in the medical field is its ability to regulate intestinal microflora and also benefits in maintaining gut health. As per the publication, some studies also underscore the benefits of donkey milk in boosting immunity and anti-diabetic qualities. Donkey milk doesn't contain several pathogens that are found in other forms of milk and has a higher shelf life.

(Input from various sources) 

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)