KOZHIKODE: At 4 in the morning, when much of the neighbourhood is still asleep, Shyma is already at work. Her day begins not with a cup of tea or a newspaper, but with the mooing of the cows.
For Shyma, known affectionately as Ruby among people in Umalathoor and Palazhi, the cows are much more than livestock. They are the centre of a business she has built with patience and hard work.
At 50, Shyma P runs Ruby’s Dairy Farm, managing a herd that includes Vechur cattle, Holstein Friesians (HF) and Jersey crossbred cows. What began years ago with just two Vechur cows has grown into a farm with around 25 cows.
While many small-scale dairy farmers sell most of their milk through dairy societies, Shyma has chosen a different path. She turns a substantial portion of the milk into ghee, paneer, curd, and other value-added products, selling them directly to customers. “I started this when my children were small, and they needed milk. We initially had two Vechur cows. Slowly, the farm grew. We had around 15 Vechur cows at one stage, and now we have around 25 cows,” Shyma says.
Today, the farm produces around 200 litres of milk a day. A portion is sold directly from the farm to local customers, while the remaining milk is supplied to the dairy society. But instead of letting all the milk leave the farm, Shyma keeps a significant quantity for processing.
Curd is made every day, with nearly 25 litres sold daily. Paneer is prepared twice a week, while ghee is produced regularly. Shyma says she sells around 60 litres of ghee a month. The products are marketed mainly through direct sales from her home, with support and opportunities coming through Krishi Bhavan and self-help groups.
“People are buying these products from the house itself. There is good demand. Especially when the summer heat increases, the demand for curd, buttermilk and other dairy products also increases,” she says.
For Shyma, the difference between merely running a dairy farm and making it profitable lies in understanding the value hidden in every litre of milk. “Why should we sell only milk? We can make so many products from it. If we make and market the products ourselves, there is an opportunity to earn more,” she says.
“I am very happy doing this. It gives me satisfaction, and I am also able to make a good amount of money from the farm,” she says. Dairy farming is not the only activity on Shyma’s farm.
She also grows bananas, cultivates mushrooms, and keeps hens, creating multiple streams of agricultural income. Her husband, Raveendran K, who works in construction and is a civil engineer and architect, supports her farming journey. Their children - Amarthya K Ravi, Advaidh K Ravi and Angath K Ravi - have also grown up around the farm.
The farm, however, is largely managed with just one worker. Shyma herself remains closely involved in the daily operations. That, she believes, is essential.
“Dairy farming needs serious love. We cannot depend completely on labourers. The farmer should know what is happening on the farm and should be involved in the work,” she says.
“We should have good calculations. We should know how much we are spending, how much milk we are producing, how much the products cost to make, and how much we are earning. Without proper calculation, it is difficult to make dairy farming profitable,” Shyma says.
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What Shyma started with just two Vechur cows has grown into a farm with around 25 cows
She turns a substantial portion of the milk into ghee, paneer, curd, and other value-added products, selling them directly to customers