Collaboration of Pune Co-op With NGO Demonstrates How Dairy Business Can Be More Than Just Milk

A joint venture between the Pune District Cooperative Milk Union (Katraj Dairy) and Ved Vasudev Prathisthan will provide dairy producers with remedies to problems with local animals. Instead of just milk, this joint venture encourages the commercial use of cow dung and urine, which may provide farmers with an additional source of income. 

Despite their toughness, Indian or desi animals are rarely chosen by farmers due to reduced milk output. While the milk from these animals is said to be better to that of mixed or hybrid cows, lack of marketing strategies has frequently reduced farmers' income. 

Domestic cattle breeds such as Gir, Tharparkar, Deoni, and Sahiwal have declined in numbers over the years. For desi breeds, a lack of suitable genetic material is also a concern. 

The project's manager, Hemant Joshi, stated that they want to promote a holistic use of the desi animal. "Instead of just milk, the animal can provide a useful alternative to the farmer by using dung and urine.  Cow dung is the best source of organic carbon, and when cows are not available, farmers resort to buying the same for field preparation.  The goal of our project is to aid in the development and promotion of these creatures," he explained. 

The Katraj Dairy built up the shed on its property as part of the joint venture, which began at the end of 2018, while the Prathisthan provided overall management and animals.

According to Joshi, the first few Gir animals arrived from the borderlands of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Currently, the Srimad Vasudev Goshala (the name of the cow shed) has 63 animals. 

What makes this Goshala unique is that they use the dung and urine of the animals to fashion 16 products. The fact that they utilize the dung and urine of the animals to produce 16 products distinguishes this Goshala. Using shampoos to floor cleaners to dung cakes to incense, the Goshala has created a wide range of products from animal waste. On average, the shed catches 150-200 kg of manure, which is then utilized for many things. 

“Small biscuits, round cakes and incense are made from the dung. The urine is used in many applications,” he said. 

Covid and the lockdowns had slowed proper reach out campaigns, but all the products are now sold in Katraj Dairy outlets. 

The demand for these products is high in urban and semi-urban regions, but greater efforts are needed to reach out to clients. Powdered dung that has been dried and powdered under the hooves of the animals is a great fertilizer that may also be commercialized. 

"Our goal is to demonstrate how the dairy industry can be more than just milk," he said.