A nomadic group from northwestern Telangana has arrived in the city with a herd of donkeys doing a brisk business selling donkey milk, which they claim, has rich medicinal value, especially for newborns and people suffering from respiratory problems like asthma.
G. Tukaram, who took his donkey to Boyapalem Junction on the city outskirts on Sunday, had customers lining up for its milk. He said a group of four families, along with 10 donkeys from Nizamabad, came to the city two months ago.
“We sell a cup (25 ml) of fresh donkey milk at ₹200. I sell in bulk at ₹8,000 a litre and can give a discount of ₹1,000. My donkey can give a litre of milk a day, but I sell it in small quantities, earning around ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 a day, depending on the number of customers. We usually come to cities like Visakhapatnam during the winter and monsoon seasons for the business,” Mr. Tukaram told The Hindu.
K. Ramesh of Divis Laboratories, Visakhapatnam, said he bought 75 ml of donkey milk from Mr. Tukaram after he came to hear about the medicinal value of donkey milk.
“I drank raw milk freshly milked from the donkey on the spot here and am satisfied. I paid ₹500 digital payment to the seller,” said Mr. Ramesh.
However, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. N. Kishore Kumar has busted the myths about donkey milk. “There is no scientific evidence proving that donkey milk has any medicinal value. It contains some minerals like calcium, though,” he said.
“Nowadays, people try new products without checking the facts. We have references and have been teaching students about the medicinal uses of cow, goat and camel milk, but nothing about donkey milk as yet” Dr. P. Murali KrishnaPrincipal of Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College, Tirupati
Speaking to The Hindu, the Principal of Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College, Tirupati, Dr. P. Murali Krishna, said, “Nowadays, people try new products without checking the facts. We have references and have been teaching students about the medicinal uses of cow, goat and camel milk, but nothing about donkey milk as yet. As per Ayurveda, cow milk is the best, followed by goats’. But, every kind of animal milk has its pros and cons.”
On the other hand, Animal Husbandry professionals refer to the stories about Egyptian Queen Cleopatra bathing in donkey’s milk every day and how hundreds of donkeys were reared for this purpose.
