Tag: Animal Husbandry

Navdeep Singh Virk

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Navdeep Singh Virk’s Journey: From 10 Black and White Holstein Friesian (HF) Cows to a Successful Dairy Farm of Red and White HF Cows 

Introduction

In the heart of Punjab’s Patiala district, in a village named Shergarh, a story of determination, innovation, and dedication unfolds. Navdeep Singh Virk, a passionate farmer, embarked on his journey in 2012 with just ten cows. Over the years, he has not only transformed his small dairy farm into a thriving enterprise but has also become a pioneer in promoting the European breed of Red and White Holstein Friesian (HF) cows in India. Navdeep’s success emphasizes the importance of genetic diversity, immunity, and high milk production.

The Beginning

Navdeep Singh Virk’s journey began with a modest herd of ten black and white Holstein Friesian cows. His vision was clear – to provide the best care for his cows and to continually improve their breed. To achieve this, he made the bold decision to import semen from Europe, specifically of the Red and white Holstein Friesian, which are known for their superior milk production and resilience. These Red and white Holstein Friesian breeds are distinct from the conventional A1/A2 milk cows, offering unique advantages. These cows have different names in different countries. These are known as Ayrshire in Scotland, Dutch in Pakistan, and Red and White HF in India.

Advantages of Red and White Holstein Breeds

One of the primary advantages of Red and white Holstein breeds, as Navdeep discovered, lies in their robust immunity. These cows are inherently less susceptible to diseases, making them a valuable asset for any dairy farmer. Moreover, they can endure harsh weather conditions, including temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius, without the need for additional cooling systems like foggers.

Navdeep’s herd now consists of 22 animals, including two bulls. Semen shortage, which is a common challenge for dairy farmers, is effectively managed by Navdeep through the use of his own produced bulls. After three years, a bull becomes capable of serving as a breeding sire. This not only ensures a sustainable source of semen but also allows Navdeep to sell high-quality bulls at better rates than cows. He has sold one bull, two milking cows and one heifer to the Animal Husbandry Department, Sikkim.

Expanding Horizons

Navdeep Singh Virk’s dedication to his farm extends beyond the borders of Punjab. He supplies semen to farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar. His reputation for quality semen has even caught the attention of semen banks, who source semen from his farm. Navdeep’s commitment to breeding excellence has created a ripple effect in the dairy farming community.

Genetics and Milk Production

Navdeep firmly believes that milk production is heavily influenced by genetics. Consequently, he does not purchase cows from outside sources. Instead, he relies on careful breeding to maintain and improve the genetic quality of his herd. The result is a remarkable range of milk production, spanning from 7,000 to 13,000 liters per cow.

Navdeep’s dedication to genetic diversity also extends to preventing inbreeding. He maintains meticulous records to ensure that no inbreeding occurs within his farm, preserving the health and vitality of his cows.

Nutrition and Diet

To maximize milk production, Navdeep employs the services of a nutritionist who formulates balanced diets for his cows. On average, his cows produce 35 liters of milk per day, with some reaching an impressive 45 liters. The nutritionist takes into account factors like body weight and milk production to tailor diets to each cow’s specific needs.

Sustainable Practices

Navdeep’s commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of his farm. From the careful selection of Red and White HF breeds to the precise diets provided to his cows, he places a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility. He also practices silage preparation with a focus on starch, green foliage, and protein content to ensure his cows receive the best nutrition.

Water and Comfort

Navdeep’s farm goes beyond just meeting the basic needs of his animals. He has set up tanks, bowls, and pools where fresh water is added daily. Cows have the freedom to spend time in the pool, which not only cools their bodies but also keeps their udders clean. This attention to the comfort of his animals is proof of Navdeep’s commitment to their well-being.


A Message to Farmers
Navdeep Singh Virk’s journey from ten cows to a thriving dairy farm is an inspiring tale for farmers across India. His success offers several valuable lessons:
Diversify Your Breeds: Navdeep encourages farmers to consider different breeds based on their specific conditions and budget. High milk production and immunity should be top priorities.
Start Small: Beginning with a small number of cows and gradually expanding is a wise strategy. Investing in cows that provide at least 25 liters of milk production is a good starting point.
Embrace Innovation: Navdeep’s use of imported semen and his emphasis on genetic diversity are key factors in his success. Farmers should not be afraid to adopt innovative practices.
Focus on Sustainability: Sustainable practices, such as careful nutrition planning and environmental responsibility, are crucial for long-term success in dairy farming.
Share Knowledge: Navdeep’s vision includes educating others about the benefits of these breeds.

Conclusion

Navdeep Singh Virk’s remarkable journey from a small dairy farm to a thriving enterprise shows his excellence in dairy farming. His story is an inspiration to farmers everywhere, offering valuable insights into the benefits of genetic diversity, immunity, and high milk production. Navdeep’s vision for the future includes expanding his farm’s capacity and further promoting the advantages of Red and White HF breeds. His message to fellow farmers is clear: adapt to changing conditions, focus on sustainability, and invest wisely for a prosperous future in dairy farming.

Naresh Kumar

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A Progressive Farmer from Haryana, manufactures 32 different types of organic products

The sugar which we consume in our homes is destroying our body from within. Most of the illnesses of our sedentary lifestyle such as hormonal imbalance, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity is one way or other related to sugar. While the solution to this problem is to consume a healthy substitute and i.e. Jaggery.
Naresh Kumar is a progressive farmer who lives in Kharak Ramji, district Jind, Haryana and owns a business of Organic Jaggery, Shakkar, Khand and 32 different products made by these three sole ingredients.
He started his career by studying Ayurvedic therapy, later through his knowledge of Ayurvedic herbs he made medicine for de-addiction of drugs back in 2006. He named this medicine ‘Wapsi’ which literally means to come back from the addiction. He shared this with the Apni kheti team that there was numerous allopathic medication for de-addiction but an ayurvedic medicine with the proven result was more significant. As Ayurveda is the oldest medicine and can cure mere impossible illnesses from ancient times.
In 2018 he moved his focus from medicines to food processing and introduced 32 varieties of different yet organic products. There are different types of Jaggery – jaggery for tea, for digestion, jaggery which includes Ajwain, Elaichi, Soonf, chocolate as per the consumer’s demand. Other products include Jagerry chutney of Carrot and Beetroot, apple, Pineapple, Amla and Jams.
‘’The artificial sugar which we add in our food is poisonous for human health, the earlier we realize this and switch to Jaggery the better it will be for our body.’’- Naresh Kumar
The processing unit is on 4 acres of land. All these products are made by traditional methods making them 100% organic. When the Jaggery is made, the processed fruit and vegetables are added to it and are then stored in an earthen pot. There is no usage of water or sugar while making these products.
 Another product which he makes for cattle is Dudhwardhak Shira which increases their capacity of producing milk. This shira is a unique product for repeater cattle. He had the formulation of this product earlier itself therefore he thought of implementing what he had in his mind before but he also had second thoughts about getting it made by a third party but was afraid as there were chances that the chemical formulation could differ. As it is not easy to trust anyone what if the other person would make the product organically or adulterate it. The uniqueness of this shira is that it is made from the Rav of desi khaand.
KVK Pandu Pindara located in Jind and Harayana agricultural university helped him in his initial days of business. These two provided him with the technical knowledge that he lacked. He was guided by Dr Vikram who is the manager of marketing at the Agri-Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) at Haryana Agricultural University. This centre recently underwent a training and after which they could manage to grab 20 lakhs for expanding his product “Dudhwardhak Shira” under the RAFTAR scheme.
From 2015 Wapsi medicine has been there in the market and along with this he was also practiced agriculture. He has been selling this medicine directly to customers since 2015. He also has 20 distributors from majorly Haryana and some parts of Punjab. He faced difficulties in the beginning because every other product in the market was fake while his product being organic had higher prices and he had to face challenges when he started but then later customers got aware of the differences between organic and fake products and now his products are appreciated by the customers. He said it was not easy to explain to people that all other products had adulteration and weren’t good for the body. During the season he gets a profit of 3 Lakh rupees monthly.
In the season when there is more work, he hires 15 labourers which are generally 5 in number in the off-season. Although he cultivates sugarcane due to huge demand the quality falls short so he has to buy sugarcane from the farmers who practice organic farming and are a member of Pillukhera jeevak Utpadak Samho (FPO) where he serves as a Director.

Achievements

•Awarded with the title of progressive farmer by Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in 2019.

Future Plans

Naresh kumar wants to take his business to new heights and increase the production of Jaggery and its products at larger scale.

Message to farmers

He wants to encourage other farmers to start processing of the crop they produce as there is more margin in making a whole product rather than selling a raw material. A farmer who sows wheat should start a processing unit of wheat flour, the one who sows sunflower should take oil out of the seeds and such processing is possible for all other crops.

Binsar Farm

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Binsar Farm: How the Trio of Three Friends Succeeded In the Establishment of Farm to Table Milk Business

How many of you have ever thought about contributing to the agriculture society along with your busy job schedule? The answer is very few…

For a person who is professionally devoted to the agriculture field for him taking out time for the agriculture society is not a big deal, but for those who are in the service sector, for them yes it is a big deal.

Well, this is the story of three friends who realized their dreams while still attached to their respective job profiles and worked upon it mutually to make it true as Binsar Farm.

Pankaj Navani, 40, the idealist behind Binsar Farm, comes from a background where his grandfather used to work for the betterment of their village Gawani in Pokhara Block, Uttaranchal. His grandfather established three primary schools, one Kanya vidyalas, one intermediate and one degree college for the village children. The upbringing of Pankaj Navani in such environment where his grandfather’s unconditional voluntary work for the society, has built up a positive attitude of responsibility for the community and it has stayed with Pankaj till now.

Carrying his dreams with him, Pankaj was still looking for an opportunity, and while working in the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, he finally met his future partners, Deepak and Sukhvinder (who were interning under him). The idea of Binsar farm came into reality when three of them went on a trek in the hills of Binsar and lost their way while coming back. But luckily they met a kind shepherd and he invited them to his shed and they spent that night comfortably in his hut. Next morning the shepherd showed them the right trail back to the city and this is how their trek to Binsar which seems like a fairy-tale came to an end. Thinking about the kindness and humbleness of the shepherd they decided to do something for the people of Uttaranchal. Basically, first, they thought of picking up the fruits, vegetables, and lentils grown in mountains and sell them in the plains by gathering more village farmers. The trio working along with their respective jobs also started acting on this project and they started gathering support.

It’s the matter of 2011 when the trio almost began to discover the process to proceed with their dream project. As being the election year, wherever they went everybody supported their plan, and in the same year Pankaj flew to New Zealand while working on an official assignment. But it didn’t created much difference in their efforts on their dream project. In New Zealand, Pankaj met Earl Rattray, Founding Director of Fonterra Dairy Group. After having a warm and genuine talk with Earl Rattray, Pankaj shared his idea of dream project with him and after hearing the tale of Uttaranchal, Earl showed interest in joining the trio team and turning it into a quadruple dream. Earl Rattray came aboard as Partner-cum-Investor to turn the Binsar Farm project into reality.

As the election polling took place and the ruling party lost the polls, all the commitments and words vanished overnight and they were again at the zero level of the staircase to their dream project- Binsar Farm. But Pankaj, Deepak, and Sukhvinder never lose their hope and decided to adopt alternative option to help the agriculture society, and this is when Earl Rattray came up with his extensive experience of dairy farming to back up the Binsar Farm project.

resurgence-of-a-white-revolution
Sukhvinder Saraf, Pankaj Navani, Earl Rattray, A Friend, Deepak Raj (From Left to Right)

Both Deepak and Sukhvinder come from the families where their culture and traditions are still the same as in the old times and their sense of living is very deep rooted in the communities. Knowing about the project, Deepak’s father offered his 10 acres of land near Sonipat, Haryana on lease to this project. By 2012 they started the dairy farming business with the inputs of dairy management and advanced techniques of Earl.

That’s not all, working responsibly towards community development, they (Pankaj, Deepak, Sukhvinder & Earl) have leased 40 acres land to five local farmers in the area to grow fodder, they supply seeds, fertilizer, and other resources. This group of five farmers is assured of their regular income and they don’t have to worry about the market price of the crop, which has enabled them to think futuristically about their family and invest in their children’s education and other things.

When it comes to the cattle health, then fodder is the most important thing to work upon and that’s why they have instructed the farmers already to use any kind of pesticide almost 21 days before the harvesting of the fodder. Pankaj and team have spent a lot of time and energy on the better dairy management practices and that’s why they have no water logging or puddle kind of situation in the cattle’s stable. Moreover, paying much attention to the shed they have kept a soil flooring rather than concreting the whole floor, as hard floor affects the milk yielding capacity of the cattle and most of the dairy farmers are still not aware of this.

Pankaj also shared a very interesting information about dairy farming: He told that in his dairy farm the cow lameness point is only 1%, while in comparison to other dairies cow lameness is up to 12-13%.

This is a very unique fact that Pankaj shared because it is sad to know when the cow is lame then she doesn’t turn towards its feed regularly which ultimately affects the milk production.

Well, currently they have more than 1000 cows at Binsar Farm, from which they are supplying farm-to-table milk to more than 600 families in Delhi and NCR region.

Later they planned to start donating the cows to the local farming families, share their expert dairy management knowledge with them and eventually buy back the milk from them. This will help the farmer to earn a stable income and make a positive change in their lifestyle with the time.

Currently, Binsar Farm is working with 12 other dairy farm owners in Haryana and Punjab region, and collaboratively they are producing products like yogurt, cottage cheese, clarified butter etc.

The trio with their united efforts tried to create a governing framework through which they can not only help in the development of the society but can also share their advance agriculture practices with the farmer society. The idea of Binsar Farm project came during the hilly trek in the mind of Pankaj, Deepak, and Sukhvinder and after that, it completely changed the life of many farming families.

Pankaj and team believe that in the coming time money will no longer is going to be the driving force for the next generation; passion to accomplish their dreams is what will motivate the younger generation to realize their virtue and make it come true.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu

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Punjab – Malwa Region Based Farmer Paired Agriculture With Mechanized Technology, Have You Tried It…

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu, 44, keeping in mind about the Mother Nature, implements the best Eco-friendly farming practices through which time and money, both can be saved. And this thought of working in harmony with nature comes in his mind while he was far away in a foreign land.
Farming, as we know, is an age-old practice, which was followed by our ancestors and their ancestors… to cultivate food and sustain life. But, with the revolution and change in demands, today, agriculture has come a long way creating a vast history behind. Yes, there are some negative impacts of modern agriculture practices, but now not only the farming community but a lot of individuals from the city are also taking initiative towards sustainable agriculture practices.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu is also one of those individuals who realized while living in abroad that he has done nothing for the land which provided him everything since his childhood. Although he was very successful living in abroad, learning about new farming technology, machinery and serving the community, he felt very despondent. And that was when he decided to take a long respite from his life in abroad and came back to his motherland, Punjab (India).

“After completing my graduation from Punjab University, I went to Canada to pursue higher studies and later on I got settled there. But after 5-6 years I felt a strong urge from the bottom of my heart that I need to go back to where I belong.”

Already aware of the foreign agriculture practices, Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu decided to mechanize his own way of farming and then he paired commercial farming and agriculture technology together. Moreover, he decided to start Kinnow farming rather than wheat and paddy.

“Wheat and paddy are the conventional crops of Punjab which needs only 4-5 months of labour in the field. Instead of getting stuck in the cycle of wheat and paddy, farmers should focus on horticulture crops and other agri-allied activities which can be done around the year.”

Mr. Singh designed a machine which can be taken in the orchards by attaching it with a tractor and that machine can grade the Kinnows in 6 different sizes. The machine has inbuilt 9 cleaning brushes and 4 drying brushes; mechanization of the machine up to this level has reduced the cost of labour to almost zero.

“Machine designed by me can grades around 1-1 ½ tons of Kinnow in an hour and the running cost of this machine is 10-litre diesel per day.”

According to Mr. Singh – Earlier, the main obstacle faced was during the marketing of Kinnow, labour cost of harvesting Kinnows from the orchard and then taking care of it was very time and labour consuming and also was not economical. Since the grading machine is developed by Mr. Singh, half of the problem of harvesting and grading is already solved.
This mechanized way of grading Kinnows in six different sizes has created a valuable place for Mr. Singh’s harvest in the market, as it gets more pre-eminence and better return on investment. Using this mechanized way for grading the Kinnows is a valuable addition to the “Sidhu Model Farm”, and from the last 2 years, fruits produced by Mr. Singh is achieving first and second prizes at the State Level in Citrus Shows.

This is not the only approach that Mr. Singh is following; drip irrigation, crop waste management, green manuring, bio-gas plant, vermicomposting, organic production of vegetables, cereals, fruits, and wheat, are other means through which he is trying reduce the harmful footprints of conventional farming practices on his behalf.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu’s contribution in the agriculture field has bagged him many awards and honour at state and national level, out of which these two are the main:

• Won State Level Citrus Show at Abohar, Punjab
• Received award form PUSA Delhi for Innovative Farming
Along with farming, Mr. Singh is also master of other animal husbandry and agri-allied activities, just because of his hobby. He rears dairy animals, poultry birds, kennel dogs, goats, and Marwari horses. He has also maintained a fish pond in half acre and forestry which includes 7000 Eucalyptus trees and 25 Bush Bamboos.
With his 12 years of experience in the agriculture field, Mr. Singh has focused his attention on some important matters and want to give the message to the society through these issues, which are the major concerns in Punjab ….

Subsidy and agriculture schemes:
Farmer assumes that Government is helping us by giving subsidy and making different agricultural schemes, but this is not true; this is a way of making farmers handicapped and grabbing their land. Farmers have to understand their good and bad themselves because agriculture is such a wide field that if it is done properly with determination then it can make anyone rich.

Mind Set of Young Generation:
Nowadays, the young generation is all set to go abroad or get settled in the city, they don’t care what kind of work they have to do in there; for them farming is a dirty job. What’s the sake of investing in the education and employment, if ultimately it will result in brain drain! Youth is unaware of the fact that agriculture is such a prosperous and diverse field that it can provide more advantages, profit, and happiness than the life in abroad.

Marketing in agriculture field:
Today, the farmer also has to become the seller by eliminating the middlemen and this is the only way by which farmer can clinch their forgotten position from the society. Farmer has to adopt modern eco-friendly practices which will lead them towards sustainable agriculture results.

Everyone should remember that-
” once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a preacher but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer.”

Dhada Goat Farm

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With The Troupe of These Four Futuristic Men, Goat Farming Is Getting Better In Punjab

Dhada Goat Farm – a farm run by four futuristic men (Birbal Ram Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Amarjeet Singh, and Manjeet Kumar), who saw the fledgling future market of goat meat and milk in Punjab at the right time and established a goat farmhouse where you cannot only buy milk and meat but you can also buy different breeds of goat for further goat rearing purpose.

Initially, the idea of establishing goat farm was of Birbal and his uncle Manjeet Kumar. Earlier working as a college supervisor Birbal was bored and had a desire to set up his own business. So before investing in anything, Birbal wanted to do a complete market research. He visited many farms in Punjab and also went to Delhi to analyse the market and gain some market knowledge.

After the analysis, Birbal found out that there are very few goat farms in Punjab and the demand of goat meat and milk is high. Manjeet Kumar, Birbal’s uncle was always a partner in the venture from the beginning. And this is how the idea of Dhada Goat farm came into reality. The other two main partners joined the venture when Birbal was looking for an empty plot where he can establish his goat farm and then he met Subedar Jugraj Singh and Amarjeet Singh. Both are military retired people. Coming to know about the idea of Goat Farm, Jugraj Singh, and Amarjeet Singh showed interest in the venture. Jugraj Singh gave his 4 acres land on lease for 10 years to Birbal. Finally, in July 2015 Dhada Goat Farm was established with the investment of 23 lakhs.

The farm began with 70 animals (40 female goats, 5 male goats, and 25 kids), later on with the time they bought 60 more. To give their business better management and protection, all the four members took 5 days goat farming training from GADVASU.

Well, the journey of Dhada goat farm was not that smooth, they faced many problems too. While buying goats in bulk they bought some goats from the local goat farmers without any proper vaccination. Which gave rise to PPR disease resulting in the death of many goats in some time. From this instance, they learned about their mistake and then they started proper vaccination of their farm goats from Veterinary Dr. Sarbjeet.

Dr. Sarbjeet helped them a lot in the establishment of a disease free healthy goat farm, he used to visit Dhada Goat farm every week and guide them. Currently, the count of the goats has exceeded 400. Beetal, Sirohi, Barbari, Totapari, and Jakhrana are the goat breed which can be found at Dhada Goat Farm. They sell breed, milk, and manure prepared from goat dung in the market. During Bakrid they also sell Bucks (male goats) to earn good profit.

Feed is the most important thing of which they take proper care. In summer they prefer to give green grass and leaves, grinded mixture of Green Chickpea and Green Gram plants, and in winter they give Berseem, grass of Mustard, Guar, and Peanut. There are two permanent workers which help in managing the goat farm. All the fodder is grown in-house for better feed preparation. Taking proper care of the goat’s needs, they have also left 4 Kanal area clear for the goats to roam there freely. Deworming gun, machine to grind the fodder, medical kit and medicines are some necessary things that Birbal and his other members use to make their goat rearing process easier and smooth.

Average profit of around Rs 750000 is made annually which is divided in between all the four members of the Dhada Goat Farm. Even after running such a good goat farm business, no member of Dhada Goat Farm brags about their success and whenever any farmer calls or visit their farm for guidance they help them with their whole heart.

For their success in goat farming, Mr. Jugraj Singh was also received Mukhyamantri Award on 23rd March 2018 on the behalf of Dhada Goat Farm.

Future Plans:

In future, the futuristic men of Dhada Goat Farm are planning to expand their goat numbers up to 1000.

Message
“Goat farming is an allied activity which any farmer can follow along with crop cultivation and can earn good profit from it. Farmers should be aware of the leading edge of this business and its profit.”

Today the main thing that the agriculture society has to understand is that there is an advantage in staying together. These four men understood this thing very well, which helped them in running a successful business. For any goat farming related queries you can contact Dhada Goat Farm and take guidance from them. Read more interesting stories by downloading Apni Kheti mobile app from Google Play Store.

Ankur and Ankita Singh

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Graduated From Symbiosis This Husband-Wife Duo, Giving a New Definition to Agribusiness with Their New Concept of Dairy Farming

What life do you imagine after doing MBA in Agribusiness from a prestigious university of India, maybe an Agricultural Analyst, Farm Appraiser, Market Analyst, Quality Controller, or Agribusiness Marketing Coordinator?

Well, all these are dream job profiles for MBA Agriculture graduates and it will become cherry on the top if you have done your MBA from an esteemed university like Symbiosis, Pune. But there are very few people who instead of being part of a multinational organization, prefer to emerge as a start-up which gives true meaning to their skills and adequacy.

Urban Dairy- An initiative taken by a power couple- Ankur and Ankita with the mission to redefine the concept of dairy farming with their distinctive idea of selling milk in raw form. This farm is located in district Unnao, 55 kilometres from Kanpur city.

Before starting this milk venture, Ankur was working as a Bio-technologist and Agriculturist in different companies (total work experience 2 years). In 2014, Ankur tied love knot with his friend Ankita, who also did MBA from Symbiosis, Pune with him.

Well, this idea of selling raw milk came into accomplishment after Ankur’s nephew came from abroad to visit him. As this was the first experience of Ankur’s nephew in India, so he decided to make it special.

Ankur especially bought an indigenous breed of cow- Shahiwal and started rearing her for milk purpose. Although the purpose of raw cow milk was only for Ankur’s nephew as he had realised that unpasteurized cow milk is more healthy and tastier than packed milk. Slowly, the whole family started drinking the cow milk and everyone liked it.

Ankur was fond of animals since childhood, but after this instance, he thought why to compromise with the health, and in 2015 both husband and wife (Ankur & Ankita) decided to start their own dairy farm. Ankur attended a short training at NDRI Karnal before starting dairy farming and in the meanwhile, his wife Ankita looked after all the construction work of the farm. They began with 6 Holstein cross breed cows, and now it has been 3 years and they have 34 Holstein/ Jersey cross breed cows and 7 indigenous cows (Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparker) at their farm.

Urban Dairy is what they thought of naming their brand, blending the rural theme with the city, a fusion of two regions, which are completely opposite to each other. From managing dairy farm to product marketing & development, they did not leave even a single step to reach where they are today. The whole farm is build-out in 4 acres of land and there are 7 workers for its maintenance. Bathing, feeding, maintaining hygiene of cows and other farm-related work are done manually by the worker and milking is done by the milking machine as well as manually by hands as per the comfort of cow. Both Ankur and Ankita make it a point to visit the farm once daily without fail. They not only like to spend most of their time at the farm but also it helps them supervise the workers in a better way. The entire milling and bottling and transport is under strict supervision of the founders.

“Ankur: We also prepare the cow feed ourselves, because milk yield & cow’s health totally depends on the feed and we never compromise on this. The cow feed formula that we follow is- 33% protein, 33% industrial waste (choker), 33% grains (maize, chickpea) and extra minerals.”

Other than dairy farming they are also actively involved in organic farming of vegetables. They have leased an extra 4 acres land. Earlier Ankita used that land as a kitchen garden. She never used any fertilizer/pesticide on that land other than cow dung. Now the land has totally turned into an organic piece of fertile acreage which they are using for farming wheat, chickpea, carrot, garlic, chillies, coriander, and seasonal veggies. They use farm crops for the cow’s feed and home purpose.

“In the beginning, my HF crossbreed cow was giving 12-litre milk, after second pregnancy she started giving 18-litre milk and now she is pregnant the third time and we are expecting 24-litre milk. There is a possibility of increase in milk production imminently.”

Marketing:

Instead of carrying milk in large milk containers to the customers and using primitive milk measuring ladle, they have come up with an innovative concept to enhance their product image. They pack the raw milk directly into glass bottles after filtration process and then deliver it to the door of the customers.

People have accepted their product with open arms. Till today, i.e. 3 years and they haven’t used a single marketing strategy or advertising to allure the customer to use their product. The entire market they are catering to, has been formed through word-of-mouth publicity by their existing customers. The response has motivated them to a level that they have started with the production of paneer, ghee and other milk based dairy products. The positive response from customers has increased their sale.

They have their own distribution network in the city for milk sale and by seeing their advancement slowly with the time it will increase to manifolds.

Future Plan:

Indigenous cow breeds milk production capacity is not that high, and he wants to develop a new cow breed by cross-breeding indigenous cows which have good milk production capacity as the milk of our Indigenous breeds is considered better in quality and proven to have multiple health benefits for humans.

According to him, milk can be kept at 2 degree centigrade for one week in healthy condition, and for that purpose, he wants to invest in chiller storage in the coming time, to store the milk for long time and use it for multiple purposes.

Message:
“Dairy farmers should never neglect the hygiene and care of their cows, they should care about them as they care for their own health. And before starting dairy farming every farmer must acquire knowledge and keep themselves updated with the current dairy farming trends for better future. Dairy farming can only be profitable if the animals in your farm are happy. The selling price of your product wouldn’t get you to earn profits, but a happy animal can definitely help you earn good profits.”