‘T ring-tring’; ‘Amma paal’ ... For several decades, these were the sounds that heralded the arrival of the milkman. They cycled from one house to another with aluminium pails suspended on hooks on either side of the carrier, on which stood another giant pail with handles like a pair of ears. They delivered creamy milk straight from the farm. Although this method of milk delivery is fast being replaced by ‘packet paal’, it still survives in several parts of the country, including big cities.
Put aside the current question of A1 or A2 milk, raised by the ongoing debate. The simple fact is that most of my generation grew up on this milk. Remember the thick layer of cream that formed on it? When was the last time you could fill a bowl with cream from just half a litre of milk?
However, as times changed, so did the components and quality of the milk. Somewhere along the way, we stopped scrutinising our daily glass — is this milk from Jersey cows (A1) or native breeds (A2)? Reams are being written on how the latter is better suited for our bodies. In a city such as ours, is it even possible to acquire authentic A2 milk? And, how much does it really matter?
A handful of suppliers is working on changing the quality of the milk we drink, by getting back to basics.
Madras Milk, started a year ago by Sidharth Vijayakumaran and his wife Karthyayini, say they ensure the milk they supply comes from native Indian cows. This milk is delivered to customers in glass bottles and sourced from farms in Red Hills and Vendanthangal.
They began with an online portal called The Farm, through which Sidharth sold local produce such as spices, eggs, milk and honey directly sourced from farmers.
Sidharth says that the idea behind Madras Milk is to supply “healthy, unadulterated milk from native cows” and support farmers in the process. “Initially, I would get calls from customers demanding why the price was so high (a litre of cow’s milk costs Rs. 70),” he recalls. But recently, his phone hasn’t stopped ringing owing to high demand. “The breeds that we use for milking are Gir, Sahiwal, Krishna and Ongole,” explains Sidharth, adding that they are milked by hand.
Hari Sethuraman, who runs The Shandy at Luz , sells native cow’s milk that he sources from about 250 heads of cattle. This includes cows of his own and those from dairies that he has helped set up and, in turn, promotes. Hari sells 150 to 200 litres a day, and supplies to organic stores in the city. He has shown that it is commercially viable to set up dairies with native cattle — he promotes milk from Tharparkar, Gir and Sahiwal breeds from dairies near Chengalpet and Madhuranthakam.
“Nothing is added to or removed from the milk,” Hari says. “All we do is deep-freeze it so that it doesn’t go bad.” Hari adds that this is “real milk”.
“This is how milk is meant to be. Indian breeds do not cause any health hazards for us,” he explains. He says that once you consume milk from native cows, you’ll appreciate the flavour so much that you’ll never switch back to generic packaged milk.
Cremurah, a company that specialises in ‘farm fresh progressively organic milk’, operates out of an eight-acre farm in Red Hills. M. Sumithra, one of the founders, says that they own about 40 cattle, including native, cross-bred, and non-descriptive varieties. “The cows feed on green grass and we don’t use any preservatives for the milk,” explains Sumithra.
Although he doesn’t claim to sell A2 milk, Ashley Koshy, who started Trader Koshy, along with his wife Sneha, owns a Gir cow and another Gir cross-breed among his cattle. The milk is organic, and Ashley claims that even people who are lactose-intolerant have taken to it.
There do exist a few other dairies in the city that supply milk from indigenous cows, but despite the demand, spiked by the current local-versus-Jersey cow debate, why aren’t there more farmers raising native cattle in Tamil Nadu?
The reason, according to C. Ganesan, who has developed a model farm of indigenous cattle at a village 12 km from Karur, is a lack of awareness among farmers and support from the Government. “Farmers assume that naatu maadu (country cows) produce less milk as compared to non-Indian varieties,” he says. “But this is not true. I have shown that native breeds can give up to 15 litres a day. This is as much as what the non-Indian breeds produce.”
Ganesan has 50 cattle, including Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Umbalachery and Kangeyam cows and buffaloes. He hopes that his model will inspire more farmers to breed indigenous breeds. He asks, “Why opt for Jersey cows when our very own provide milk that is as tasty as it is healthy?”
For details, visit:
* http://www.madrasmilk.com/
* https://www.facebook.com/TraderKoshy/
* http://www.cremurah.com/
