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Aurangabad: Region gets its first packaged Osmanabadi goat milk

Aurangabad: A self-help farmers group from Tuljapur of Osmanabad district has started selling region’s first packaged goat milk sourced from the famous Osmanabadi breed.

Upset with frequent droughts in the region, a number of farmers from the district opted for allied farming and started breeding the Osmanabadi goats, known for its quality meat and strong immunity.



The landless as well as marginal farmers, who were raising the goats only for selling the meat, were convinced by a youth for encashing on goat milk — known for its high nutrition value.

The brainchild behind this is 28-year-old Premkumar Kerabadanane, who has rented a room in village Baswantwadi and convinced around 150 farmers — currently owning 543 goats — to sell him milk for Rs 30 per litre.

Kerabadanane belongs to a family of landless farm workers and is pursuing his Masters in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

The youth, hailing from Kolhapur, has a team that goes door-to-door to collect the milk which is sold under the name Shree Goat Milk at Rs 100 per litre — far less than what is being offered online or in metro cities.

Osmanabad collector Deepa Mudhol-Munde told TOI, “The idea to help the landless as well as marginal farmers by way of diverting them towards selling goat milk is expected to bring dramatic change in the lives of the people here.”

The youth started the business with Rs 1.5 lakh that he took as loan. “Currently, the demand is more than supply and we are making efforts to convince the farmers to sell us goat milk,” said Kerabadanane.

Impressed by the idea, district collector recently visited the village and inaugurated the dairy where the milk is pasteurized before cooling at four degrees celsius. The delivery team currently comprises only two youths who go to the houses of the customers to deliver freshly-filled bottles and collect empty bottles delivered the previous day.

“The villagers have a tradition of raising goats that reproduce twice a year. They sell goats to make money. All we had to do, was to show them the way they can make additional money on daily basis, instead of waiting for six months,” Kerabadanane said

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