Bangalore :

About 50 nomadic families from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have arrived with their droves to meet Bangalore’s rising demand for donkey’s milk.

Wandering about in groups of four or five families, they take their produce to residential layouts, where it is in huge demand.

Many families believe feeding a child, donkey’s milk at least once increases its immunity.

Each donkey-rearing group brings two females, one or two males, and a foal (baby donkey).

Camping on the city’s outskirts on Magadi Road, Tumkur Road, Mysore Road and Kanakpura Road, the groups venture into individual houses and apartment complexes in busy neighbourhoods.

They are doing brisk business, selling the milk for `40-50 for 5 ml. Their produce is cheaper than the donkey’s milk available at the local dhobi ghats. And moreover, they come to your doorstep.

Many mothers with newborns wait for them, to buy what they believe is an elixir. Rashmi, who works in a garment factory, said, “I gave a teaspoon of the milk to my six-month-old baby. He has been falling ill often.”

She paid `30 to a family from Vellore, and hopes the dose will cure the baby of respiratory infections, as rumoured.

Biz in two cities

For the donkey owners, business entails travel for six months in a year.

Murugan (40) has been coming to Bangalore for two months every year from Rajikotai in Dharmapuri district. He is part of a four-family group that has set up camp on Magadi Road. They have been around for over a month. City Express met him near K R Road, when he was making his rounds of Jayanagar and Basavangudi.

“Six months in a year, we go round Bangalore and Chennai, where people believe in giving this milk to their babies. This time, I am selling it for `50 for 5 ml and not a paisa less,” he said.

His group has already gone to many areas and plans to return after some more days of selling.

“It is a hard life. We have to buy a truck. I bought a Tata Ace for `2.5 lakh to take my animals around,” he said.

He is particular about the fodder, and says he can’t compromise since the milk is fed to delicate infants.

He has heard about the popularity of asses’ milk in the US and Europe. “There is no need for people to be scared about what the donkeys eat as we provide them grass and fodder,” said Murugan.

On the other hand, Gopika, who was annoyed at being disturbed during business, said, “It is a seasonal business and the donkeys give milk only if a foal is around.” The families have to look after the animals carefully so that they don’t fall sick. “When we come to the city, we leave them on the outskirts, where they graze. We collect them in the morning,” she said.

Dismissing the apprehension that the animals could eat garbage, Gopika declared, “My animals eat only bhoosa (fodder) and mevu (grass) and don’t touch other things.”

Street vending

Cries of ‘Katte haalu’ (donkey’s milk) have become common in recent days. People rush out to buy the milk for children between six months and three years.

City Express met a few families in Kadirenhalli, Uttarahalli and Jalahalli, where nomads have been selling donkey’s milk. About 20 families in Kadirenahalli said they had fed their children donkey’s milk.

Of Baby donkeys

R N Prasad, food processing expert and a resident of PP Layout, said, “The one group that camped in our neighbourhood for eight days was from Dharmapuri district.”

It sold milk to people from Arehalli and Uttarahalli. A donkey gives 200 to 300 ml every day. It can be milked for six months in a year, but only in the presence of a baby donkey, he explained.

“This milk is considered good for children to help them develop immunity, and it is also supposed to be good for lactose intolerant babies,” he said.

White breed

Last week, people were excited to see a group of white donkeys near Maharaja Agrasena Hospital near Chikallalasandra. Many in the crowd soon turned into customers, as a family from Hosur sold donkey’s milk at `60 for 5 ml.

Mani, who was measuring out the produce, made `3,000 in just two hours. “Business has been good this year as more and more people are buying donkey’s milk,” he said.

Kumar, a policeman and resident of Kadirenhalli, said, “We bought the milk for my two grandchildren from a Vellore family. We are not scared of any infection, as many in our family have been following this tradition for years.“

Doc’s take

“The tradition of feeding infants donkey’s milk has existed for centuries. But one has to be careful as the animals may feed on garbage dumps when they are left out to graze. Otherwise, there is no harm in feeding children this milk,” said Dr S Rao, a paediatrician.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Meera Bhardwaj / September 18th, 2014