From a nutritional perspective, camel milk is richer than cow’s milk in vitamin C, vitamin B, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium and contains higher quantities of copper. Although pricier than cow’s milk, there is a noticeable increase in its demand.

For thousands of years, countries in the Middle East and North Africa have consumed camel milk. However, over the past 2 or 3 decades, there has been an increasing interest from other parts of the world. Health-conscious consumers are said to be driving the surge.

In East Africa, farmers have found a new way to make money in the arid and semi-arid areas.

These farmers own 60% of the world’s camels and they have taken advantage of the camel’s nutritious milk to make money. Camel milk is great for its medicinal value and low-fat content.

The northern drylands of Kenya should have been without attention, if not for the camels. The bustling streets in the capital city, Nairobi enjoy the thousands of liters of camel milk. The ‘white gold’ as the camel milk is fondly referred to because of the money it helps the rural women make.

Every day, cups of camel tea and glasses of camel milk are consumed in different parts of the country. The economic, health and life-giving potency of the camel milk gave it the name ‘white gold.’

Camel milk is believed to be medicinal and can cure some diseases. Many people who have never taken cow’s milk believe that the milk from camels is very pure. The protein-rich milk from camels, with its thick consistency and salty-sweet flavour, has become part of the nomadic diets over the years.

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Muslim quarters like the Eastleigh in Nairobi, enjoy the milk that came milk from around Kenya and sold to them. On the supermarket shelves, camel milk and yogurt are seen in different packages. While the market is growing, more work is required to make the milk more acceptable in other African countries.

The increase in demand for camel milk is because of its health properties, great taste in tea, and long-shelf-life. These properties rival that seen in cow’s milk. For communities that do not traditionally drink camel milk in Kenya, the demand is increasing because of the marketing and news of the milk’s potency and efficacy.

High-end consumers are demanding milk because of its health benefits. The demand for the milk estimated to be over $50 million per year shows that the milk is indeed white gold.

The export market of the milk is not tapped effectively in both Somali and Kenya. But, in the Middle East, the demand for milk could be huge if harnessed properly. The drought-stricken central region in Kenya, called Isiolo has experienced economic growth because of its camels.

However, the climatic changes have reduced the productivity of these camels, but ended up producing herds of desert-hardened, drought-resistant camels that can produce 20 liters of milk a day.

Women are at the forefront of ensuring that the camel milk gets around the country. In some places, the camel belongs to the men, while the women handle the white gold business. The government has stepped in to stop these women with electricity and storage facilities to ensure that they have no wastage. Many single mothers have found solace in the camel milk business, and have used the proceeds to take care of their kids.

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One day, the milk would be consumed in different parts of Africa, and those who own camels would end up rich overnight.

Challenges and opportunities through camel milk business value chain

  • There is unmet demand and potential for growth in the market.
  • Food safety can be improved through quality standards, increased use of aluminum cans and more access to bulk cold storage, especially during aggregation and transport.
  • The sector could benefit from increased access to finance at all levels, as well as mechanisms for value chain actors to mitigate their risks through insurance schemes.
  • There are opportunities to build more trust between women who are operating in the markets and the male dairy owners who operate their own kiosks. Building the capacity of those women to better understand the market demand and to manage their supplies more effectively will increase their competitiveness in the value chain.

Africa is home to an estimated 86% of the world’s camels. The urbanised public is slowly but surely realising the value of camel milk, which is beneficial for lactose-intolerant consumers and has less cholesterol, according to Kenyan entrepreneur Hassan Bashir who is tapping into the camel milk opportunity through his company Nourishing Nomads. The company aims to produce 30,000 litres of camel milk a day in Kenya’s Wajir County within the next five years.

“We will have an ultra-modern camel milk processing plant in Wajir. We will get milk from the producer families in an organised way, without any additives, and pay the families at their point of production. From there it will be transported via motorbike to chillers that are stationed in villages and then, via our logistics division, we will bring it to the Nourishing Nomads plant. Here we will add value by processing it into a diversified range of products. Then it goes back to the retail trader,” Bashir explained.

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