Representative image of donkeys.
Credit: iStock Photo
For a fact, in a sharp contrast to the price of cow or buffalo milk, stands donkey milk price, which is somewhere between Rs 5,000 - Rs 7,000 per litre.
According to a report by NDTV, Dhiren Solanki who is from Gujarat, supplies donkey milk to customers and earns about Rs 2 -3 lakh in a month.
With 42 donkeys, Solanki has setup a donkey farm in his village in Patan district.
Talking about his journey which led to setting up the farm, Solanki said that earlier he had been trying for a government job.
According to NDTV, Solanki said, "I found some private jobs, but the pay would barely cover my family expenses. Around this time, I came to know about donkey rearing in south India. I met some people and set up this farm in my village about 8 months back."
Solanki told the publication that in the beginning he had invested Rs 22 lakh for the farm and started with 20 donkeys.
He also told that the start was difficult and in the initial five months he didn't earn anything as there is no demand for donkey milk in Gujarat.
For income to raise from his now setup farm, he approached companies in South India that demand donkey milk.
He now supplies the milk to Karnataka and Kerala and also to cosmetic companies who use it for their products.
When asked about the price, Solanki told NDTV that compared to the cow milk which is approximately Rs 65 per litre, donkey milk ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per litre.
To maintain the freshness of the milk, Solanki said that it is stored in freezers and can also be transformed into powder form.
With its price soaring to almost Rs 1 lakh for a kg when in powder form, the donkey milk can also be dried and provided to customers who prefer powdered milk.
As of now, Solanki has invested Rs 38 lakh in the farm and has 42 donkeys so far.
According to NDTV, though he has not taken any assistance or help from the government, Solanki aims to expand his business and focus on the government sections as well.
Benefits of donkey milk
It has been claimed that ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra used to bathe with donkey milk and known as the 'father of medicine' Greek physician Hippocrates, had advised donkey milk for various body problems including - nosebleeds, poisonings, liver problems, infections and fevers, as mentioned by the publication.
Though it has lots of benefits, demand for donkey milk has reduced in the modern today, which also defends its high price.
NDTV cited a report in US National Library of Medicine, that says the composition of donkey milk is almost similar to human milk, making it a substantial and considerable alternative for infants or newborns.
The report also says, "Another important aspect of donkey milk in the medical field is its ability to regulate intestinal microflora."
According to the publication, some studies also highlight the benefits of donkey milk in boosting human immunity and gut health along with anti-diabetic qualities.
As donkey milk does not carry lots of different pathogens which are commonly found in other forms of milk, it also has a differently higher shelf life.