Srinagar, Apr 21: For generations, Kashmir’s urban families have wrestled with a familiar dilemma — the desire for fresh milk at home and the sheer impracticality of keeping a full-grown cow in a city dwelling.
SKUAST-K believes it may have finally found the answer, and it comes in the form of a calm, cream-coloured goat from the alpine valleys of Switzerland.
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has formally introduced the Saanen goat breed – internationally celebrated as the ‘Milk Queen’ – at the Mountain Research Centre for Sheep and Goats (MRCS&G) in Shuhama, in what officials are describing as a landmark moment for the dairy sector of Kashmir.
In an exclusive interaction with Greater Kashmir, Dr Pervaiz Ahmad Reshi, who is leading the initiative, laid out the full vision behind the project and what it could mean for Kashmir’s farmers, urban households, and unemployed youth alike.
“This animal you see behind me is a Saanen breed. It is a breed of goat which is commonly known as the Milk Queen — and it has earned that name because it is the most milk-giving goat in the world,” Dr Reshi said, standing beside one of the newly arrived animals at the Shuhama facility.
The university has procured 20 female and 4 male Saanen goats, sourced young at 7 to 8 months of age so that researchers can observe and document the full arc of their reproductive and productive life under Kashmiri conditions.
Crucially, Dr Reshi confirmed that this is the first time the Saanen breed has been introduced into a government institutional setup anywhere in India — a distinction that underlines the significance of the move.
The Saanen goat originates from the Saanen valley in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, and has over decades been exported across the world for its extraordinary milk-producing capabilities.
In India, the breed carries a historical footnote that lends it an added resonance — it was Mahatma Gandhi who first brought the Saanen goat to the country, and it was he who gave it the enduring title of ‘Poor Man’s Cow.’
“This goat gives milk like a cow. It gives 3 to 7 litres of milk a day,” said Dr Reshi. “Mahatma Gandhi introduced this goat here for the first time. He named it the Poor Man’s Cow – and that name tells you everything about what it can do for ordinary families.”
The thinking behind introducing the breed in Kashmir is rooted in a very specific gap that Dr Reshi and his colleagues have identified in the Valley’s dairy landscape.
While demand for fresh, home-produced milk is high – particularly among health-conscious urban families – the practicalities of keeping cattle in a city environment are daunting.
A cow weighs anywhere between 500 and 600 kg, demands significant feed, space, and veterinary attention, and is simply not suited to the confined quarters of an urban home.
The Saanen, by contrast, weighs just 50 to 60 kg at maturity, requires only 1 to 2 kg of dry grass and around 500 to 600 grams of customised concentrate feed per day, and can comfortably be raised even in a cage or a compact enclosure.
“We want to introduce this goat as an Urban Goat,” Dr Reshi said. “The cow which is difficult to raise – we want to replace it with this goat in urban areas.”
The economics are compelling.
A single Saanen goat producing an average of 3 to 4 litres of milk daily – well within the breed’s documented range – would comfortably meet the daily dairy requirements of a typical Kashmiri family, at a fraction of the cost and effort involved in maintaining cattle.
Beyond the volumes, Dr Reshi was emphatic about the quality of milk the Saanen produces – and on this front, the breed scores on multiple counts that are particularly relevant to Kashmiri consumers.
“This milk is A2 milk. Many people don’t know that A2 milk is given by a desi cow. But naturally, A2 milk is also produced by this goat – and its market rate is significantly higher,” he said.
Unlike the milk of local goat breeds, the Saanen’s milk carries no characteristic odour – a factor that has historically deterred urban consumers from switching to goat milk.
The milk is also non-allergenic, easy to digest, and widely recommended for vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and those recovering from illness.
Dr Reshi also pointed to the breed’s particular relevance in the context of dengue fever, which has in recent years emerged as a growing public health concern in Kashmir. “When dengue strikes, platelet count falls sharply, and doctors routinely advise patients to consume goat milk. This breed, given the volumes it produces, makes that prescription far more accessible,” he said.
Adding to its appeal, the Saanen is a notably docile and gentle animal – a characteristic that sets it apart from the more temperamental local goat breeds and makes it safe and easy to handle even for families with no prior livestock experience.
“You can see it sitting peacefully right here. It is not aggressive at all. It is a very docile, beautiful breed – and that makes it ideal for an urban family,” said Dr Reshi.
SKUAST-K is not approaching this introduction as a fait accompli.
The university has designed a structured two-to-three-year research programme at Shuhama to rigorously evaluate how the Saanen performs under Kashmir’s specific environmental and climatic conditions before any large-scale promotion among farmers.
The research will track a comprehensive set of parameters – milk yield across lactation cycles, birth weight of offspring, reproductive behaviour, disease patterns, feed conversion, and critically, the breed’s adaptability to Kashmir’s harsh winters and variable terrain.
“We will check its behaviour, its diseases, and its performance. We will check its birth weight, its milk requirement, its milk supply. Only after that will we make a complete package of practices and take it to the field,” Dr Reshi said.
Perhaps the most forward-looking dimension of Dr Reshi’s vision is the employment potential he sees in dairy goatry for Kashmir youth.
Kashmir has long struggled with unemployment among its educated young population, and the agricultural sector has not always offered the kind of scalable, entrepreneurship-driven opportunities that might appeal to them.
Dr Reshi sees the Saanen as a potential game-changer on that front.
“Dairy goatry is an area that is completely untapped in Kashmir – and Kashmir, with its environment and its green pastures, is ideally suited for it,” he said. “There is already a dairy farm and a sheep farm here. But dairy goatry is a new dimension, and we want to open it up.”
He extended a direct invitation to unemployed youth interested in setting up dairy goat units, urging them to approach SKUAST-K for expert guidance, formal training, and hands-on support.
However, he also sounded a note of caution against shortcuts.
“They must come to us. They must take expert advice, undergo a proper training course, and do a full survey of their situation. You cannot simply pick up animals from anywhere and expect results. The breed will not perform that way,” he said. “But for those who approach it scientifically and seriously, we will support them fully and help them build a new livelihood.”
