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Processors and suppliers of milk and dairy products. Also engaged in breeding of indigenous cows. Located at Solapur, Maharashtra
“I wanted to provide best quality milk to society so I closed my petrol bunk, bought 27 acres farmland and ventured into dairy business with one buffalo in the year 1999,” says Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani. His farm is located on the outskirts of Solapur, Maharashtra. The farm is into multiple activities along with raw milk supply such as processing milk into value added products, breeding indigenous cow breeds and fruits orchard. Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun talks in detail about his farm with Agriculture and Industry Survey. Excerpts:
Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani
In the beginning I sourced Murrah buffalo from Haryana. I used to sell buffalo milk at Rs. 15/liter. Later I bought another 10 animals from the same source. Then after I started the breeding program on the farm itself and today the herd size has increased to 120. My first buffalo purchase was at Rs. 30 thousand. Now the cost of the buffalo has increased to Rs. 1.25 lakh that gives 12 litre milk. I have developed Murrah calves that yield 16-18 litre milk/day. I have 80 calves that started milking after 2years. I refer them as younger generation cattle in the farm. I sell buffaloes after 5 milking cycles to people who want to use it for home use. I sell for Rs. 35 thousand/animal.
Along with buffalo after few years I also started rearing Indian desi cows. These are treasure to us but unfortunately its’ number is decreasing drastically. I want to promote Indian breeds. Presently I have 25 Indian desi cows at the farm. I buy semen for breeding from Rahuri Krishi Vidyapeeta, BAIF.
The feed given to buffalo and cows is same. It is primarily maize, BHN 6 (feed prepared from Dharwad KVK) grass, sugarcane, etc. The feed is changed twice in a year based on season – sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet season (bajra). In addition I have also installed fodder producing hydroponic unit in 500sq ft. It gives 1ton fodder/day. It produces 2-3 varieties of fodder in 7 days. Sugarcane is important feed for cattle so we use it 20-25% in the feed. I have appointed 24hours veterinary doctors at the farm. They manage the entire cattle management and ensure the cattle are in best health.
65 buffaloes give 12-16-18 litre milk each and 5-6 cows yield 10-12 litre milk at a time. Milking is done twice a day with milking machine.
On an average milk produced in the farm is 600 litre/day and another 400 litre milk is purchased from other dairy farmers. Raw milk is sold at Rs. 62/litre buffalo milk and Rs. 70/litre cow milk. The milk is sold fresh within two hours from milking, morning and evening. It is not pasteurized or homogenized. Milk is packed in half and 1 litre packs in automatic milk packing machine. Milk is delivered at 350 customer home while rest is sold at our retail outlet.
All the products are sold under the brand KDF milk. Demand of all KDF products is good. 300 litre/day is sold at outlet, 400 litre/day goes for home delivery while remaining 300 litre is processed into value-added products.
Processing unit was started six years back with an investment of Rs. 7-8 lakh. The dairy products produced are srikhand, aamrakhand, paneer, buttermilk, curd, lassi, ghee and ice cream. As of now the processed products are produced in limited quantity to be sold at the end of the day. I strongly believe in preparing and delivering all the products fresh to the customers. None of the products is stored in cold storage. I ensure to maintain every day turnover at the farm. Also not a single penny is spent on advertising. It is all sold through word of mouth publicity because I consciously maintain the quality. Cattle and consumer health is important to me.
In the fruit orchard and vegetable farm only cow excreta based farming inputs are used. I practice zero budget natural farming. The dung and urine is processed into jeevaamruth and other medicines. Fruit cultivated and sold are pomegranate, chikoo, guava, mango, mosambi etc. Vegetables grown are seasonal.
Problems are faced in agriculture but solved by finding the right solution. For example last year we faced drought, growing fodder became impossible for myself and other farmers but cattle had be fed with food. So the solution found and implemented was hydroponic system.
In time to come slowly I shall limit/reduce buffaloes in the farm and increase the cows. Reason being cow’s milk is rich in medicinal value and preferred by consumer. I shall also focus more on developing the native breeds. I want to save all our Indian cow breeds from getting extinct. Surely by next year I will have 100 desi cows in the farm namely Konkreg, Sahiwal, Rathi, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi, Gir, Kelrag, Kerigar, Devani etc.
People say there is no money in farming. In 1999 I started the business with one buffalo and now I have my own brand developed all by myself. So step back, think and decide!!
(As told to Mamatha S R)
Contact Details:
Kalyani Farms
Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani
5A Sawli Housing Society, Solapur-Bijapur Road, Near Kumaraswamy Yogvihar, Solapur – 4133 004, Maharashtra
Phone: 09604352151
“I wanted to provide best quality milk to society so I closed my petrol bunk, bought 27 acres farmland and ventured into dairy business with one buffalo in the year 1999,” says Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani. His farm is located on the outskirts of Solapur, Maharashtra. The farm is into multiple activities along with raw milk supply such as processing milk into value added products, breeding indigenous cow breeds and fruits orchard. Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun talks in detail about his farm with Agriculture and Industry Survey. Excerpts:
Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani
In the beginning I sourced Murrah buffalo from Haryana. I used to sell buffalo milk at Rs. 15/liter. Later I bought another 10 animals from the same source. Then after I started the breeding program on the farm itself and today the herd size has increased to 120. My first buffalo purchase was at Rs. 30 thousand. Now the cost of the buffalo has increased to Rs. 1.25 lakh that gives 12 litre milk. I have developed Murrah calves that yield 16-18 litre milk/day. I have 80 calves that started milking after 2years. I refer them as younger generation cattle in the farm. I sell buffaloes after 5 milking cycles to people who want to use it for home use. I sell for Rs. 35 thousand/animal.
Along with buffalo after few years I also started rearing Indian desi cows. These are treasure to us but unfortunately its’ number is decreasing drastically. I want to promote Indian breeds. Presently I have 25 Indian desi cows at the farm. I buy semen for breeding from Rahuri Krishi Vidyapeeta, BAIF.
The feed given to buffalo and cows is same. It is primarily maize, BHN 6 (feed prepared from Dharwad KVK) grass, sugarcane, etc. The feed is changed twice in a year based on season – sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet season (bajra). In addition I have also installed fodder producing hydroponic unit in 500sq ft. It gives 1ton fodder/day. It produces 2-3 varieties of fodder in 7 days. Sugarcane is important feed for cattle so we use it 20-25% in the feed. I have appointed 24hours veterinary doctors at the farm. They manage the entire cattle management and ensure the cattle are in best health.
65 buffaloes give 12-16-18 litre milk each and 5-6 cows yield 10-12 litre milk at a time. Milking is done twice a day with milking machine.
On an average milk produced in the farm is 600 litre/day and another 400 litre milk is purchased from other dairy farmers. Raw milk is sold at Rs. 62/litre buffalo milk and Rs. 70/litre cow milk. The milk is sold fresh within two hours from milking, morning and evening. It is not pasteurized or homogenized. Milk is packed in half and 1 litre packs in automatic milk packing machine. Milk is delivered at 350 customer home while rest is sold at our retail outlet.
All the products are sold under the brand KDF milk. Demand of all KDF products is good. 300 litre/day is sold at outlet, 400 litre/day goes for home delivery while remaining 300 litre is processed into value-added products.
Processing unit was started six years back with an investment of Rs. 7-8 lakh. The dairy products produced are srikhand, aamrakhand, paneer, buttermilk, curd, lassi, ghee and ice cream. As of now the processed products are produced in limited quantity to be sold at the end of the day. I strongly believe in preparing and delivering all the products fresh to the customers. None of the products is stored in cold storage. I ensure to maintain every day turnover at the farm. Also not a single penny is spent on advertising. It is all sold through word of mouth publicity because I consciously maintain the quality. Cattle and consumer health is important to me.
In the fruit orchard and vegetable farm only cow excreta based farming inputs are used. I practice zero budget natural farming. The dung and urine is processed into jeevaamruth and other medicines. Fruit cultivated and sold are pomegranate, chikoo, guava, mango, mosambi etc. Vegetables grown are seasonal.
Problems are faced in agriculture but solved by finding the right solution. For example last year we faced drought, growing fodder became impossible for myself and other farmers but cattle had be fed with food. So the solution found and implemented was hydroponic system.
In time to come slowly I shall limit/reduce buffaloes in the farm and increase the cows. Reason being cow’s milk is rich in medicinal value and preferred by consumer. I shall also focus more on developing the native breeds. I want to save all our Indian cow breeds from getting extinct. Surely by next year I will have 100 desi cows in the farm namely Konkreg, Sahiwal, Rathi, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi, Gir, Kelrag, Kerigar, Devani etc.
People say there is no money in farming. In 1999 I started the business with one buffalo and now I have my own brand developed all by myself. So step back, think and decide!!
(As told to Mamatha S R)
Contact Details:
Kalyani Farms
Mr. Ashok Mallikarjun Kalyani
5A Sawli Housing Society, Solapur-Bijapur Road, Near Kumaraswamy Yogvihar, Solapur – 4133 004, Maharashtra
Phone: 09604352151