₹12 lakh may sound like a steep price for a cow, but for Whitey, an award-winning Holstein Friesian, it proved to be worth every rupee. Now seven years old, Whitey is part of the herd at Samruddhi dairy farm at Edavaka near Mananthavady, managed by Paulose and his son Vipin.

Originally from Punjab, Whitey comes with an exceptional pedigree. Her mother was a champion in milking competitions at competitions organised by the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association (PDFA), producing up to 74 litres a day, while her father is an Australian-bred Genex Junior.

In 2023, Whitey recorded a daily yield of 68 litres at a milking competition in Kolar near Bengaluru, securing first place during her third calving. She was later sold to a dairy entrepreneur in Coimbatore for ₹12 lakh.

Although she struggled to conceive there due to local conditions and her milk output dropped to 25 litres a day, Paulose decided to buy her, confident that her genetics and proper care could heal her. Whitey was brought to the Samruddhi farm on November 22, 2024.

The making of a milking champion

Vipin's first step after bringing Whitey to the Samruddhi dairy farm was a blood test, which revealed anaemia-related issues. He immediately revised her feeding programme, switching her to a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) comprising silage, pellet feed and mineral salts. In addition, germinated horse gram flour, ground into a paste, was given at 2 kg a day until conception. According to Vipin, this diet was crucial for both fertility and higher milk yield.

As the pellet feed used at Whitey's previous farm was unavailable in Kerala, it was specially procured. She was also maintained under a free-range system, allowing daily movement.

After uterine cleaning, hormones were administered to prepare her for artificial insemination. Vipin said Whitey conceived only after her diet was scientifically optimised and her reproductive cycle carefully regulated. 

During pregnancy, she continued producing around 15 litres of milk daily, making the drying period challenging. Following feeding practices recommended by experts in Punjab, the drying process was successfully completed within five days through a carefully controlled feeding schedule.

She was given transition feed 21 days before calving and for 15 days after delivery. Whitey calved on October 25 and was then introduced to a postpartum diet from Punjab to enhance milk production- a feed that has since been extended to other cows on the farm.

At seven years of age, Whitey weighed 705 kg post-calving. Just 25 days after delivery, she recorded a daily milk yield of 44.4 litres, producing 23 litres in the morning and 21.4 litres in the evening. Vipin expects her to reach record production levels within the next 45 to 60 days.

High stakes milking battles of Karanataka
Vipin said there is a strong demand in Karnataka for high-yielding cows that calve during October–November, as they are often bought to compete in milking contests held between December and January. 

Describing the contests as grand affairs, Vipin said each cow is assigned a veterinary doctor and kept at the venue for three days. He and his father have spent years preparing cows for such competitions by identifying promising animals and conditioning them for peak performance. However, the influx of high-yielding cows from Punjab has reduced demand for local stock, prompting Vipin to acquire Whitey.

Given her record-breaking yields, Vipin said Whitey could easily fetch ₹12 lakh or more in today's market. Having already secured a bull calf for breeding, he plans to retain her until she delivers a heifer.

After completing his studies, Vipin took over the management of the 40-year-old Samruddhi farm founded by his father, Paulose. Trained in livestock management, zoology, veterinary nursing and artificial insemination, he now oversees a herd of 15 carefully selected high-yielding cows, eight of which were bred on the farm.

At present, nine cows are in lactation, producing an average of 200 litres of milk a day, with individual yields ranging from 25 to 44 litres. Vipin also runs a business sourcing elite cows from across the country for buyers, often repurchasing them after calving. He noted that third-generation cows at the farm are already showing exceptional promise, with one producing 37 litres in her first lactation.

Cow Rearing the Punjab Way
High-yielding cows producing over 50 litres of milk a day and large-scale milking competitions may still be uncommon in Kerala. Whitey, however, highlights the significant progress made in other states, particularly Punjab, where dairy farming has undergone a remarkable transformation.

A few decades ago, Punjab's dairy sector was comparable to Kerala's in productivity. Today, cows yielding 50 to 60 litres daily are increasingly common there. With the growth of commercial dairying, farmers in Punjab have shifted to a model that prioritises higher yields from fewer animals.

This shift has been spearheaded by the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association (PDFA), supported by Punjab Agricultural University. The association has introduced scientific farming practices, facilitated access to superior genetic material and spread advanced technical knowledge among farmers.

To study the PDFA model and share its lessons with dairy entrepreneurs in Kerala, Vipin, along with Naushad and Nisar, has formed a professional collective called Dairy Developers Domain (D3). Within a year, the group has organised eight seminars and begun supplying premium high-yielding semen sourced from reputed institutions.

Experts from Punjab regularly visit Kerala to conduct training sessions, and a dairy specialist from France is scheduled to lead a seminar next month. The group also organises study tours to Punjab, with the next visit planned for February.