Globally, camel milk is getting superfood status. But back home, its sale is still illegal. Lifting the ban may be the only way to save the ship of the desert.
During a malaria outbreak, members of Rajasthan's Rebari community have a unique remedy: camel milk.
"Ten to twelve days of camel milk cures the person," says Anand Singh Bhati, a member of Rajasthan's camelrearing community of Rebaris who owns about 200 of the ungainly animals.
Even as the world gets pumped up about its health benefits — Time magazine recently reported that packaged camel milk is now available at Whole Foods supermarket in the US, while Dubai has been marketing everything from camel lattes to camel chocolates — the Rajasthan government has only now woken up to its potential. After giving the camel the status of state animal, it is now trying to get the sale of its milk in India legalized.
The Bikaner-based National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC) has approached the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to authorize its sale. Abhay Kumar, principal secretary, state animal husbandry department, says, "We have decided to extend our support to NRCC so that camel milk is recognized by the law. It is surprising that Rebaris have been consuming it for decades but it still hasn't been legitimized," he adds.
Hanwant Singh Rathore of Lokhit Pashu Palak Santhan, a Rajasthan-based NGO that promotes the camel and its produce, is confident that demand for milk will go up with the certification. "People are aware of the therapeutic value of camel's milk and want to buy it but we are bound by the law not to sell," says Rathore. "Currently, 3,000 to 4,000 litres of camel milk end up with roadside tea stalls or milk producers in Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Bhilwara regions who mix it with cow and buffalo milk as it's cheaper."
While camel milk was once popular for its therapeutic qualities, things soured in the late 90s, when the Rajasthan high court ruled it wasn't fit for human consumption. In 2000, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling but despite efforts by various milk co-operatives and self-help groups to promote it, the FSSAI refused to legitimize its sale.
But the Rebari community has continued to consume the milk, which it claims has kept them free of diabetes. While they earn a living out of camel hide and handicraft items made of camel bone, they have never sold the milk because of an ancient superstition which says the camel will die if they do. However NRCC, which has its own camels, not only sells milk from the premises of the institute in Bikaner, but also items like flavoured milk, tea, coffee, kulfi, milk powder, soft cheese, peda, barfi, paneer, butter, ghee and gulab jamun made from it.
Legalizing sale of milk may also boost the declining camel population which experts say has fallen from 500,000 to 200,000 in the state.
With demand for camel transportation dwindling, herders no longer find it economically viable to raise these animals except for meat, says Rathore. "The Rajasthan government has taken the first step by giving camel state animal status but that may not be enough. It is imperative that the milk is recognized by the law so that it can be sold. Only then will the animal survive."
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