Turning mattha into money: Enhancing income ofghee-producing dairy farmers through raw caseinproduction from buttermilk

Abstract

Dairying is central to rural livelihoods in Madhya Pradesh, with Morena district ranking first in milk production. Given challenges of soil erosion and low crop yields, livestock especially dairying, provides a crucial source of income and nutrition. To address marketing constraints of milk, farmers traditionally process it into ghee and khoa. Recently, they have innovatively begun converting buttermilk, a by-product of ghee, into raw casein, creating an additional revenue stream. This article provides details of two production methods on casein extraction. On average, raw casein contains 56.5% protein, 20% fat, 12.5% moisture, and 7.5% ash. By converting milk and by-products into ghee and casein, farmers earn 20–25% higher returns, highlighting the potential of value addition to strengthen rural dairy economies.