From soaps to lip balms: How demand for donkey milk has kicked off a farming revolution in Tiruchi district

The dwindling population of donkeys in Tamil Nadu has led many farmers to rear these hardy animals for their milk and other by-products

J Raju, an advocate-turned-agricultural entrepreneur has an unusual enterprise. His Aindhinai Farmer Producer Company (AFPC), in Soriyampatti, a village in Tiruchi district, is working to conserve the dwindling population of donkeys while making the husbandry of these animals a rural money-spinner.

The rapid spread of mechanisation and road networks in India has slowly cut down on the donkey’s utility as a beast of burden. A recent census indicated that there were only 1,428 donkeys in Tamil Nadu in comparison to 9,183 donkeys in 2012.

Raju says the time is right to bring donkeys back into the limelight. “They are often the butt ofjokes. But in reality, they can be a jackpot for farmers, their milk and other by-products have a premium market value.”

Vendors like him now offer donkey milk, aromatic donkey ‘sambrani’ (incense), and donkey milk soaps.

Raju’s AFPC sells these products on its website. Donkey milk, high in fat, is emerging as a best-seller in the global beauty industry. A litre of donkey milk costs a whopping ₹3,000.

“Since a donkey produces only around half a litre of milk per day (compared to cows that can give up to 30 litres), they cannot be used like milch animals on a small scale. So donkey farmers have to find other ways to add value,” says Raju, who regularly uploads online videos about life with his four-legged companions. He currently has a farm with a herd of 38 local breeds and says it is easier to rear this animal than any other cattle. 

Donkey milk plays a prominent role in the production of cosmetics like soaps and balms, making it a sought after industrial raw material.