'Rs 6000 per litre'; Kannur man starts donkey farm, reaps big profit

THALASSERY: ‘Donkey’ slurs are very common and are mostly made to take a jibe at someone who might have done something silly. However, go for a second thought before spurting out the ‘donkey’ jibe again since the domesticated equine is not simply what it meets the eye, but can change your life altogether.

Donkey milk now costs Rs 6000 per litre. Since learning the trick, Chokli Olavilam native Yadhukrishnan, with the help of Grameen Bank, started a donkey farm; a first in Malabar. There are now dozens of strongly built donkeys on the farm which Yadhu named ‘Miracle donkeys’.

It was after learning about donkey rearing from Munderi VHSS that the craze got inside Yadhukrishnan. To hone the trade well, Yadhu took sojourns to Andhra and Karnataka, to visit donkey farms and then take back with him some good breeds. It was after selling the 20 cows from his father’s cattle farm that Yadhu found money to start his own ‘miracle ‘venture. Mother Deepti and sister Krishnapriya have always been supportive of Yadhu’s plan.

A local donkey costs Rs 60,000, while it takes anywhere around one lakh to five lakhs to get hold of a high breed. Yadhu’s farm includes the rare Halari donkey from Gujarat and the big Katwadi Donkey.

Apart from business, Yadhu eyes a different mission; to save the donkeys from becoming endangered. Donkeys are fed corn stalks, corn meal, green grass and dry grass.

Donkey milk has the same nutritional value and immunity as breast milk. On a normal day, a donkey will give 300-500 millilitres of milk. But high-breed varieties will give up to two litres. This donkey milk can be saved in the freezer for up to six months. Donkey milk is an ingredient in many expensive cosmetics. Italian Miss World Elizabeth once revealed her secret beauty tip to be taking a bath in donkey milk.