Why Waste A Great Resource…Any Camel Dairy Investors?
Four years ago PWF asked if camel milk might be a business opportunity for Indigenous communities and if there were any entrepreneurs interested in ‘farming’ some of our 600,000 feral camels.
Queensland camel expert Paddy McHugh and an Israeli camel milk product manager, Gilad Berman, will this week have discussions with both the WA and SA Governments and Austrade about establishing a high tech Australian camel dairy, similar to the one in Dubai that milks 800 camels, producing and bottling 4000 litres of milk a day, selling it under the name of ‘Camelicious’.
WHY Camel Milk?
Demand for camel milk in the west is growing and in 2009 The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products (EICMP) estimated that
“the market for camel’s milk and milk products exceeds $200 million in the Arab world alone. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) agrees the potential market could be as much as $10 billion, and their dairy expert, Anthony Bennett, supports that contention by noting that milk – even milk from camels – is money. “
Anthony Bennett is also reported saying research suggests that antibodies in camel milk can help fight diseases like Cancer, HIV/Aids, Alzheimers and Hepatitis C,
AND
Research by Professor Reuven Yagil indicates a dramatic impact on autistic behaviour and in treating children’s allergies.
In 2009 the EICMP said
“For several years (we) … have been pushing to get the product on to store shelves in the EU. The application process has been long and arduous, but now there are indications that such an export market could develop within two years.”
In the US, in 2009, thanks to the work of Dr Millie Hinkle, the Food and Drug Administration accepted her proposal that the law be changed to allow camel milk to be included in the dairy laws governing the sale of milk.
Camel milk can be pasteurised, but, this destroys some of its unique qualities. Currently overseas it is sold unpasteurised after specific testing. It has a five day shelf life.
Camel Milk Qualities
- High concentration of insulin
- Doesn’t contain proteins that cause allergies
- Counteracts metallic taste after chemotherapy
- A source of Alpha-Hydroxy acids known to reduce fine lines in skin
- casein free, unique in mammals’ milk
- 40%less cholesterol than cow’s milk
- Three times as much vitamin C as cow’s milk
- High amounts of iron
- Considered the closest compound to mother’s milk
- Considered an aphrodisiac
- Used successfully in treating psoriasis
About The Australian Camel Dairy Proposal
- A high tech dairy like the EICMP Dairy in Dubai would be established with 30 camels to start
- Good milkers can be identified by DNA testing ‘in the field’
- It is assumed each camel will produce around 10 litres
- Milk will sell for around $10 per litre
- Target market initially will be the 500,000 Australian Muslims living predominantly in Melbourne and Sydney
- Mosques and Health Food stores will be targetted at the outset of the venture
About The Principals
Gilad Berman has 13 years experience in project management including camel milk products in Israel.
Paddy McHugh has played a key role in developing the Queensland camel industry and has many media contacts in Australia.
For More Info
Email Gilad Berman giladberman@hotmail.com
A very interesting project
3 Comments
Good luck! Why not start with a community vegetable patch and go from there. Get off the mark first, then get some runs on the board, before going for the fifty, then think about notiching up a ton. Play it like a test match and not a T/20. You really need your skilled, un-corruptable, hard-working Aboriginal professionals (from within or outside) to drive and manage affairs, and for God’s sake, keep Council and ‘community’ business affairs bloody seperate!!! Make sure Councils don’t siphon the guts out of businesses, as was the case under CDEP for years, and will continue to be the case without strict rules and anti-corruption measures etc.
Spot on Viv ! Why aren’t groups within Aboriginal communities incorporating as a separate farm company, leasing enough land from the Councils (and explaining fully what rights under leases entail) and running, as you say, vegetable gardens and orchards and chook yards, and maybe a few dairy cows ? And then yes, think about a camel dairy – perhaps under another lease agreement with the Councils, say forty years ?
To answer my own questions, Rudd-like, the magic ingredient is – EFFORT ! But that might come, once people understand the possibility and meaning of leasing land from their own Councils.
Can camel milk be sold in powdered form ? If so, imagine the market across Asia and Africa !
I feel its all good and well to start milking camels but my concern is will the end product be straight from the animal or will it be heat processed???? So much of what we are offered these days is so far from its natural state that what benifical nutrients the food/milk has to offer is destroyed due to over processing.
I have a child with allergies and so have an invested interest in the possibility of milking camels here in Australia. From what I have read this food can turn a childs life around but if due to so called health requirments this milk needs to be pasturised then I see little value in milking camels.