Abstract
Camels were originally domesticated for their milk. Following the move to use the camel as a beast of burden
especially for armies, there has been a return to its original task. Camel is no more the animal of the old world, but
an animal which may be use to combat the growing desertification and to feed millions of people living in those
areas. There are many scientific data concerning the anatomy, physiology and endocrinology of lactation in
camels. It has been shown that camels can provide 15-20 liters of milk per day for a lactation period of up to 18
months, ma'K.ingi\ a very good farm animal. The camel produces in harsh and hostile conditions where other
animal may not survive. Studies conducted in the horn of Africa revealed that the camel produced more milk than
the other types of tropical animals compared on the basis of kgfTLU/year. Camel milk is now used in the modern
urban masses and found in the shelf of the super markets and shopping malls in the form of plain and flavored
milk, cheese and chocolate. Globally camel produces about 2 % of the world total milk and that milk is mostly
produced by pastoral people and consumed locally. Some attempts have been made to market such camel milk
after collection and pasteurization in central processing unit/factory (India, Kenya, Mauritania and now in U.A.E.).
There is a weak knowledge about the true potential of the camel and very rare references are available in the
scientific database especially on various quantitative traits like daily and lactation yields and the factors affecting
on it. In Pakistan camel population attain one million head with almost 20@ of lactating camel produces around
0.6 million ton of milk annually, but had never documented as independent entity in the grey records of the
country. Per head basis camel in the country produces far better than the indigenous milch breeds of cattle and
buffalo, Friesian and their crosses. The camel sustain its productivity in difficult conditions and comparatively
lesser affected by the adverse factors like lack of feed, water, season and length of lactation. There is a wide
diversity of breeds in the camel found in the arid and semiarid lands (ASAL) of the world. An enormous production
variation has been observed in the different individuals of the same breeds, between the breeds and areas to
area. This variation can be use successfully in the future strategies of the milk improvement. The time has
reached to know and exploit the true potential of camel and to find the ways to sustain this old industry for the
cause of the conservation of important animal genetic resource and transform it in a modern entrepreneur in the
near future.
