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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
It is a flourishing business in Dhulia district which is known for the production of ghee of good quality. The most valuable cattle feeds like jowar kadbi, wheat bran, cotton-seed and groundnut-cake are available in abundance. Grazing areas are extensive and have spread mostly in the hilly portion. In addition, anjan trees, a very nourishing fodder for buffaloes is abundantly found in the district. These, all together, provide very nutritive and succulent feed to the animals. The Malvis and Ahmedabadi types of breed of buffaloes, which yield more milk, are found in the district.
With the availability of ample quantity of milk, a number of shops selling milk and its products have come up in Dhulia district. They require no tools and equipment except a few pots, a balance and weights and other measurements which cost the shop-keeper not more than Rs. 100.
The occupation requires less initial capital investment. Milk and its products are in good demand in spite of the high prices. As a result, the occupation yields good income to its owners.
The old Khandesh District Gazetteer published in 1880, has to say the following about dairy business in Khandesh.
"Clarified butter, tup, is made chiefly at Dhulia and Laling. Almost all well-to-do husbandmen sell clarified butter, and besides by them, a large quantity is prepared by professional herdsmen of the Dhangar and Gavli castes. The women do the dairy work and sometimes go to sell the butter. Clarified butter is of two kinds, one made from buffaloes', the other from sheep's milk. The butter made from buffaloes' milk is the best fetching from 6 d. to 1 s. (4―8 annas) a pound. It is used by all the well-to-do. Sheep s fetching from 4½ d. to 9 d. (3-6 annas) a pound, is used chiefly by
the poorer classes and in mixing. Cow's butter, which is used for medicine, is seldom made. The producers generally self to butter dealers, local and Marvad Vanis, Bhatias, and Kachhis, who live in the larger towns and travel about gathering supplies. They keep the butter in large leather jars, dabas, and dispose of most of it at their shops in market and other large towns. Butter is clarified by boiling it in a brass or iron pot. When good it keeps
fresh and fit for use from eight to fifteen days. Almost the whole supply is used in Khandesh. A little finds its way to Berar and the Nizam's dominions. There has not of late been any marked change in the butter trade ".
At present a considerable quantity of ghee, butter and milk is exported from Dhulia district to Bombay. Regular consignments of these products are sent by the agents of the Bombay dealers daily. The Khandesh ghee and butter enjoy very good reputation in the Bombay market. Since the opening of the Government Milk-Scheme at Dhulia the milk production and procurement business has received good encouragement. Thousands of litres of milk is exported from the Government dairy to Nagpur and Bombay daily.
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