In the arid expanse of Kutch, Gujarat, camel milk is rapidly emerging as a viable and growing source of income for hundreds of nomadic herder families who have long depended on livestock farming for survival. A combination of government-backed initiatives and an organised dairy infrastructure is reshaping what was once a subsistence livelihood into a structured, income-generating enterprise.

Sarhad Dairy: Building an Organised Market

Sarhad Dairy, a first-of-its-kind facility in India, has been instrumental in this transformation. The dairy not only procures camel milk directly from herders but also processes it into value-added products including paneer (cottage cheese) and ice cream. Before its establishment, herders struggled to find buyers and often sold milk at throwaway prices.

Today, camel herders receive between ₹50 and ₹55 per litre — a significant improvement over earlier rates. According to herders, payment delays and marketing hurdles that once plagued them have largely been resolved through the dairy's procurement system.

What the Herders Say

Camel herder Ashabhai Rabari said, 'Previously, our lives were quite difficult. However, thanks to the government's support and the guidance provided by the Milk Union, the lives of our camels were saved; otherwise, no one would have cared about us. Life has become much easier now.'

Another herder, Devabhai Rabari, added simply: 'We now send camel milk to the dairy, for which we get ₹50 per litre.'

The nomadic nature of camel herding — families move constantly in search of fodder — had historically made milk collection and sale logistically difficult. Sarhad Dairy has addressed this by streamlining the collection process to suit the herders' mobile lifestyle.

Rising Volumes and Payouts

The numbers reflect a clear upward trend. In 2025-26, Sarhad Dairy procured an average of 5,158 litres of camel milk per day, up from 4,754 litres per day in 2024-25. Payments to herders rose correspondingly — from approximately ₹8.72 crore last year to nearly ₹9.60 crore this year, an increase of close to ₹88 lakh in a single year.

Notably, Sarhad Dairy has also extended loan facilities to herders, enabling them to purchase additional camels and expand their operations — a critical support mechanism given the high upfront cost of acquiring livestock.

The Superfood Angle: Medicinal and Export Demand

Camel milk is widely described as a 'superfood' owing to its nutritional profile and reported medicinal properties. According to health expert Dr Alap Antani, camel milk can be highly beneficial for patients suffering from tuberculosis (TB) and may help reduce bodily inflammation. It is also considered beneficial in managing diabetes, autism, and allergies, according to reports.

This medicinal reputation has fuelled demand both domestically and in international markets, giving Sarhad Dairy's products a potential premium positioning beyond commodity milk sales.

What This Means for Kutch's Pastoral Communities

This comes amid a broader push by the Gujarat government to bring marginalised pastoral communities into formal economic frameworks. Camel herding communities like the Rabari have historically operated at the fringes of agricultural policy, with little institutional support. The Sarhad Dairy model represents a structural shift — converting an informal, scattered activity into an organised supply chain with assured pricing, regular payments, and access to credit.

If procurement volumes and herder payouts continue on their current trajectory, Kutch's camel milk sector could establish itself as a replicable model for other desert-belt regions across Rajasthan and beyond.