Writing the Pre-history of Amul: Emergence of Urban Milk Markets in Late Colonial India

This chapter examines historical narratives and processes that shaped the evolution of milch cattle and organized dairyingDairying. It explores how the privileging of the food production function of cattle was closely linked with the question of city milk supply. This chapter tries to understand how rapid urbanization and rising milk prices in urban areas had led to emergence of a specialized form of dairy farming in the form of city milch stables. However, the problem that was posed by such a specialized form of dairy farming in the form of city milch stables was the way it enabled higher rates of slaughter of youngstock and hence it came under criticism from the cow protectionists in late nineteenth-century India. This chapter also engages with the way adulteration of city milk supply and unsanitary methods of handling of milk and milk products in bazars prevailed in Indian towns and cities. In those early narratives, adulterated milk was said to cause diseases and hence there was a stress upon the need to have stringent regulations to be enforced to ensure the supply of pure milk.