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Donkey milk knowledge archive · Organisation & authority
Lok Sabha 2024: government answer on non-bovine milk and donkey milk projects
In a parliamentary answer of 17.12.2024, the Indian government names two ICAR-NRCE research projects on donkey milk and a support programme with grants of up to 50 lakh rupees that also covers donkeys.
- Author
- Government of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying); answer by Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh
- Work
- Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No. 3580 “Non-Bovine Milk”, answered on 17.12.2024
- Passage
- Questions (a) and (b) with answers; answer to (b): paragraphs on the National Livestock Mission and ICAR-NRCE
- Time & place
- 17 December 2024 · India
- Type of source
- Parliamentary answer (India)
In the original words
What the original says
Integrated analysis for the ultra-deep compositional characteristics of donkey colostrum and mature milk
Integrated analysis of the detailed composition of donkey colostrum and mature donkey milk (project title).
English rendering: our own translation by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team, following the sense of the text.
Background
Who, when, what kind of text
Members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, can put written questions to the government (“unstarred questions”). The ministries’ answers are published in the parliamentary archive and are official government documents.
In December 2024, the members S. Jagathratchakan and Sanjna Jatav asked about the potential of milk from animal species other than cattle and buffalo and about planned government initiatives. The ministry responsible for animal husbandry and dairying answered.
The answer falls into a period in which India had introduced product standards for goat’s, sheep’s and camel milk; donkey milk is not mentioned in them.
Content
What the source reports about donkey milk
On (a), the ministry states that, in its view, non-bovine milk has great potential and that India could play an important role in the world market for it. The food authority FSSAI had set standards for goat’s, sheep’s and camel milk in addition to cow’s and buffalo milk.
On (b), the ministry refers to the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the National Livestock Mission for sheep, goats, camels and donkeys, with grants of up to 50 lakh rupees (5 million rupees) for individuals and certain groups.
The answer also names two projects of the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines: one on a model donkey farm and the investigation of assumed properties of donkey milk, and one on the detailed analysis of the composition of colostrum and mature milk.
The rest of the answer concerns yak, camel and sheep research by other institutes.
At a glance
Figures & facts from the source
Critical assessment
How reliable is this source?
Type of source
Official government answer to parliament. It describes support programmes and projects but does not substantiate any properties of the milk.
Wording on effects
The answer speaks in general terms of “therapeutic properties” of non-bovine milk; one project is only to investigate such values for donkey milk. That is a political assessment or research question, not proof.
Regulatory finding
The answer indirectly confirms that, at the end of 2024, donkey milk was not among the types of milk with their own FSSAI product standard.
Our assessment
For us, the answer shows above all that India expressly includes donkeys in its livestock support and conducts state research on the composition of donkey milk. We do not adopt statements about effects.
References
Sources to check
- Primary sourceQuestion and answer in the parliamentary archive (Digital Library Lok Sabha, PDF)
https://eparlib.sansad.in/bitstream/123456789/2986476/1/AU3580_7FnQus.pdf
More sources and studies in the research archive. Summarised by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team, as of November 2026.