Milk composition is economically significant to milk processors and nutritionally essential to end consumers. The variation in nutrition or health benefits of milk depends on the breed of the cow it came from. It has been observed that A2 milk is gaining market worldwide as a healthier choice than regular A1 milk because of its supposed health benefits. The demand for A2 milk (milk from desi cow having A2 type beta-casein protein) is rising as proponents assert that it is easy to digest milk compared to A1 milk.

Taping to the growing A2 milk demand, Mittal Happy Cows Dairy Farms, a family-owned and operated business, launched a brand Mr Milk to deliver farm fresh desi cow milk products. The 85-acre farm near Lonavala reflects the brand's love and affection for all moo friends. Speaking of the company, Naresh Mittal, founder of Mr Milk, says, "We started Mr Milk, to contribute to the healthy well-being of the society, bring modernization in the dairy industry, and desi cow breeding."

With state-of-the-art facilities, the latest technologies, and an impeccable natural environment, the brand has pledged to change the way milk is produced, processed, and consumed. Moreover, the brand strongly believes in fulfilling customer's expectations with its quality produce, including Desi Cow Milk, Desi Cow Ghee, and Desi Cow Paneer. Mr Milk's Desi Cow Ghee is available across the country through its website and marketplaces like Amazon.

Happy cows give happy milk

Research studies suggest that if an animal is in a good state, healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express innate behavior, and not suffering from conditions such as pain, fear, and distress, that animal produce more.

Mittal understands the value of animal welfare for his business. Therefore, the farm is equipped with various facilities for its desi cows' and calves' comfort and well-being. This includes but not limited to providing them with a total mix ration where different feed is loaded as per the diet requirement ratio set by the nutritionist; automatic water troughs for drinking clean water; open paddock for sunbath; soft bedding for comfort; massage brush in their sheds to get themselves massaged; sprinklers and cooling fans to control temperature; and shower tunnel for maintaining hygiene.

He believes that happy cows give happy milk, "We are also working on various ways to improve the yield of desi cows with the changes in their diet, nutrition requirement, and environmental factors."

Hormones and steroid free milk

Mittal highlights that the brand does not follow any unnatural practices, such as hormones or steroid injection to increase animal milk production. He adds, "Our milk is free from hormones as we do not inject any hormones or steroids. Also, we do not separate cream from milk to make additional profits and by-products from it. We ensure that the milk is supplied without any processing."

The farm is equipped with DeLaval automatic milking parlor for milking cows. Mittal explains, "The milking clusters give a hand massage-like stimulation for milking. The milking process is fully automated and does not involve human intervention, which reduces the chances of milk contamination."

Milk is a perishable commodity. At Mittal farm, as soon as the cows are milked, the milk travels to the Bulk Milk Cooler (BMC) through pipelines where it is chilled at 3-4 Deg C. This cold chain is maintained throughout the last mile delivery. Mittal adds, "The somatic cell count plays a crucial role in determining the quality of milk. The lower the somatic cell count, the better the quality and shelf life of the milk. We have managed to keep this somatic cell count of our milk to very low levels to increase the shelf life."

Moreover, the farm has an in-house laboratory that constantly monitors the quality of its products and has its own refrigerated vans and delivery network for the last mile delivery to customers' doorstep. Mittal proudly quotes that they have been supplying throughout the pandemic without a single missed delivery while following all the guidelines recommended by the government.

The brand is serving about 2500 households in Pune & PCMC and plans to start milk supply to other nearby cities very soon. "We have a very exciting range of A2 milk products in the pipeline. Our Desi Cow Ghee has huge demand overseas; therefore, we are also planning to export to meet these demands," he concludes.