Making mouthful delights and also changing the course of lives…
In the remote village of Grandhi in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district, where dunes stretch endlessly, and silence is broken only by the soft padding of hooves, lives Genaram Raika — a pastoralist carrying forward a centuries-old bond between his people and the desert.
Genaram is no ordinary herder. With over 400 camels and a family of five to support, he is among the largest dromedary pastoralists in the region. Yet his journey, like that of many Raikas, has been shaped less by pastoral pride and more by resilience in the face of steady decline.
Once revered as Devasi (servers of the divine), Rajasthan’s camel herders have been pushed to the margins. Shrinking grazing lands, rising fodder costs, and the spread of diseases like Khujli (Sarcoptic Mange) made survival increasingly difficult. Camel milk, once freely consumed or shared, held little economic value. With camels living up to 30 years but offering a limited milking window, and fodder costs exceeding ₹1200 per quintal, sustaining a herd became a daily struggle. The fear of losing both livelihood and legacy loomed large, especially against the backdrop of a 37% decline in camel populations.
A shift began with Bahula Naturals. More than a market player, it approached camel milk as a means to restore dignity and economic viability to pastoralism. Through sustained engagement, Bahula partnered herders like Genaram as custodians of a fragile ecosystem. Veterinary support, vaccination drives, and improved feeding practices were introduced, but the most critical change was the creation of a reliable market for camel milk.
Today, Genaram sells over 100 litres of milk daily, earning nearly ₹1,00,000 a month — a tenfold increase from earlier times. What once felt like a fading occupation is now a viable livelihood, drawing the next generation back.
With FWWB’s support, Bahula has ensured timely payments and financial stability for herders. Its partnership with the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (Saras) has further connected remote producers to urban consumers.
At 50, Genaram continues his long desert walks with quiet pride. Selling milk no longer signals loss — it represents continuity. Camel milk, once overlooked, now stands as a symbol of revival, resilience, and a future rooted in tradition.