A Qualitative Account of the Perceptions and Market Determinants of Indigenous Cow Milk Sector in India

Abstract

The conventional milk market in India has evolved in India over the last five decades post the ‘Operations Flood Milk Revolution’. During the 1950s and 60s indigenous cows were cross-pollinated with foreign breeds to fulfil the shortfall in the local demand for milk. The cross-pollination of exotic with Indian breeds contaminated the purity of the lineage of Indian cow breeds which had a rich nutritive pedigree. Over the last six years, there has been a fresh stream of indigenous milk market that is slowly emerging alongside the conventional market (cross-breed milk) under the name of ‘Desi Cow Milk’. This milk is marketed as an extract of pure Indian indigenous cows like Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparker, Khilar etc. The market is niche; but is available at varying price points from 90 I. a litre to 240 I. a litre. Consumers have mixed opinions about this market while others know little of this market. Ayurvedic doctors are prescribing this desi milk as a cure for several chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, skin allergies, autism etc. Word-of-mouth publicity is a strong promotion channel and business is governed more by trust. This paper is an attempt to demystify the perceptions about the Desi cow milk market and identifies the determinants that govern its growth if it were to become a full-fledged market in future. The paper is qualitative and explores a sample size of 30 using an open-ended questionnaire.