Kenya: camel's milk set for boom times

ISIOLO, Kenya — For the tattered-clothed young men in this remote community, milking a camel's stubby udders at sunrise is not a novelty, but a daily chore to get milk valued by their tribe for generations.But camel's milk, long-cherished by the Cushite people of central Kenya, is now enjoying a renaissance in the capital Nairobi and could, some say, become an internationally coveted health food product worth 10 billion dollars a year. "Camels are better than cows because they can survive when there is drought, but the cows cannot, so I can make a profit even during dry season," said Halima Hussein, 45, whose 84-strong flock makes her a local camel-mogul."I'm going to sell to sell some of my cows to buy more camels," added Hussein, whose family also owns 120 cows.This arid region in central Kenya, like much of northeast Africa, has in recent years been hit with less predictable and more intense droughts, hindering cow's milk production and boosting the value of camels.In Isiolo, some 280 kilometres (175 miles) north of Nairobi, Hussein and the 63 other women in her local cooperative currently send between 3,000 to 5,000 litres (quarts) of camel's milk a day to markets in Nairobi's Eastleigh neighbourhood.Following this unprecedented demand, the Dutch development organisation SNV, which helps the women sell their milk in Nairobi, has suggested opening a milk bar in Isiolo, perhaps to introduce visitors to the unique flavours of camel-based diary.The Somali, Oromo and Borana tribes -- all part of the Cushite group -- provide a reliable base of customers at Nairobi's hectic markets.But some insist there is a chance to turn this once ignored type of milk into a high-end health food product sought after on every continent."There is already a high demand for camel milk in the developed countries," said Holger Marbach, a German national who founded Vital Camel Milk, which makes yoghurt, ice cream and other camel's milk products.Marbach said Vital Camel Milk currently sells its products to supermarkets in Kenya,

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