Andhra government to launch desi cow milk products under ‘Andhra Gopushti’ banner

VIJAYAWADA: The State government is set to launch desi cow milk-based products under the banner ‘Andhra Gopushti’ to promote the growth of indigenous cow breeds as well as organic milk products across Andhra Pradesh

The first special stall for these products would be set up at Vijayawada in the third week of September. More stalls would come up in cities like Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Guntur, Kurnool and Rajamahendravaram.

Elaborating on the need for promoting organic milk products, Animal Husbandry Department Director Dr R Amarendra Kumar said, “We are aiming to cater to a niche market under the brand name, Andhra Gopushti. The organic products will be made of A2 milk produced by indigenous cow breeds. They can be classified as premium and hence, they will be priced accordingly.”

He added that demand for such products is higher in cities than in rural areas.

Stating that the primary objective is to promote the growth of indigenous cow breeds like Ongole, Punganoor, Gir, Deoni, Rathi among others, Kumar explained, “In the first phase, we established 58 desi cow farms six months ago. In the second phase, 28 more such farms will be set up. Each of the 26 districts will have three to five units, run by the farmers who are part of the Andhra Gopushti Farmer Producer Organisation under the Companies Act.”

The cost to set up each farm in Rs 30 lakh and the government is giving a 50 per cent subsidy to those who establish such units.

At the Andhra Gopushti stalls, only milk-based products like butter, ghee and paneer would be sold and not milk. Further, products like desi cow dung cakes meant for puja and hawan, and dhoop sticks would be marketed as well.

Explaining the design of the stalls, Kumar said, “Besides a small sales counter, the stall will have a large display area with an audio-visual explanation of the process of how desi cow products are made. There will also be a churning machine with a live demonstration of butter extraction.”

Asserting that desi cow farms started six months ago to produce organic milk, the officials said the fodder provided to these cattle is cultivated organically and is certified by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The cattle-based products, too, would be APEDA certified, Kumar added.