What is Desi Cow?

Desi cow refers to the indigenous cow breeds of India. India is blessed with diverse cow breeds having unique identities and features. More than thirty indigenous cow breeds are known to exist in India. The desi cow breeds are categorized into three groups depending on their practical utility. Gir, Tharparkar, Sahiwal, Kankrej, Red Sindhi and Rathi have been grouped as milk or dairy breeds, Ongole and Haryana as dual breeds and the rest as draught breeds. The dairy breeds have usually been identified basically depending on the milking capacity of the cows conventionally.   Interestingly, all desi cow breeds produce A2 milk which is nutritionally superior and have a modulatory effect on human health. However, recent knowledge gained on the quality of milk produced by cow breeds has thrown light on the importance of mini cow breeds like the Kapila, Malnad Gidda, Vechur, etc. for the dairy purpose, as their milk has been ranked superior in nutritional and fitness index.   This trend has already been started in India, with few dairy farmers opting exclusively the mini cow breeds for the dairy industry. The maintenance cost of these breeds is quite economical, as they are well adapted for pasture grazing and their food requirement is also quite low when compared to large breeds like the Gir, Ongole, etc. Moreover, desi cow milk price is attractive and hence mini desi cow farming is catching up momentum during recent years.

Why is Desi cow milk superior?

The desi cow milk is naturally enriched with many nutritional factors modulating the physical and mental health of growing children, adults and taking care of the cognitive and physical abilities of the aged.  Milk produced by desi cows has been proved to contain Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), contributing to the long-term health of human beings. Desi cow milk is also equipped with other highly nutritious components like Lactoperoxidase, Lactoferrin, Polysaccharides, Enzymes, Vitamin B12 Binding Protein, Antibodies, Mucins, Hormones and Vital Micronutrients. Modern society is aware of these facts and hence more and more people are opting desi cow milk by choice. This trend has a positive impact on desi cow milk price.

What is the Desi Cow Milk Price?

The Indian market has quite a good number of local and mega brands of desi cow milk. The price varies with location, cow breed and brand. Presence of desi cow milk suppliers and consumers is catching up in India but more visible in the peninsular region. Some of the online desi cow milk brands dominant in different cities include the following.

New Delhi

• Back2Basics
• Dairylac
• Desi Cow Dairy
• Desigo
• Hetha

Mumbai

• Vitafarms
• Pathmeda
• Madhav Gir Cow
• Captain Farm
• Happy cows
• Amul
• Kesariya Farm

Benguluru

• Satvic Organics
• Vrindavan
• Indua
• Swarg
• Team Desi Milk

Chennai

• OrganicTapovana Madurai
• Thimil Organics

Ahmedabad

• Sams Dairy

Indore

• A2 dhoodh

Chandigarh

• Shopapni

Pune

• VEDAAZ
• Shri Krishna
• GoNiramay Gorasa
• GoSrushti

The desi cow milk price varies between INR 60 to 150 per Litre as on year 2018-19. Many start-ups venture into this business perceiving the prospects. However, water, green fodder, labour, and logistics are challenging in this sector. Therefore, supporting industries especially those offer green fodder throughout the year looks crucial in meeting the growing demand for desi milk.