This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
Australia's Camel Milk Industry Sees Rapid Growth ¶
Lauren Brisbane, owner of QCamel, Australia's only certified organic commercial camel milk dairy, attributes the growth of the industry to a different philosophy in how her family-owned and run operation is run.
"We have a different philosophy in how we run our dairy," she says. "It is paramount when running a happy and healthy camel dairy to really understand and respect the camels. We see them as our family members and fellow members of staff, rather than just stock or machinery."
Lauren's farm in Queensland is just one of many in Australia that are now producing camel milk. The country's first camel dairies opened in 2014, and since then, the industry has grown considerably, with dairies now operating in almost every state and territory.
According to a 2016 report by the Australian government, the five years to 2021 were expected to see a major increase in Australian camel milk production. And it seems that prediction has come true, with the country now producing 180,000 litres of camel milk per annum, compared to just 50,000 litres in 2016.
Megan Williams, owner of The Camel Milk Co Australia, has certainly played a part in driving that growth. She and her husband Chris set up a dairy in northern Victoria in 2014, with just three camels from the wild, which they subsequently had to train to be milked.
Today, their business has moved to a property more than twice the size, and they now have a herd of more than 300 camels, with around 60 currently being milked. The farm averages around six litres of milk per camel per day, with one third of that being sent overseas to customers in Singapore.
Rebecca Forwood, who has been importing Australian camel milk into Singapore for almost two years, believes in its benefits. "I hate the term 'superfood', but this really is up there as one of the best," she says.
However, not everyone is convinced of the health benefits of camel milk. Charlene Grosse, an accredited practising dietician and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, says that while camel milk is certainly nutritionally valuable, more research is needed to put some of the other claims to the test.
Regardless of the need for more studies, Megan says one thing is certain - the future for this unexpected Australian export industry is certainly bright. In addition to milk, the sector is also starting to make cheeses, skincare products, and chocolate made with camel milk.
