ADILABAD: No sale. No purchase. No packaged milk. In Pottamlodi village, 50 families with around 240 cattle have built a small, community-driven dairy system where milk is shared within the village rather than sold in the market, an alternative to the profit-driven model that dominates everyday consumption.
Located under Alikori Gram Panchayat in Adilabad rural mandal, around 20 km from the district headquarters, Pottamlodi’s practice is rooted in sharing rather than selling. While packaged milk is readily available in towns and rural areas, residents of Pottamlodi have chosen not to buy milk packets from the market.
Milk obtained from their cattle is shared among families in the village, with residents saying the practice helps them stay away from adulterated food products and chemical additives that they fear may enter the food chain.
Around 240 cows and other cattle are reared by the 50 families. Rather than viewing the animals primarily as sources of income, villagers consider them part of their families and care for them with affection, they say.
Village head Meshram Gangaram and other residents say most households have between five and 10 cows. The cattle provide milk for the community as well as manure for agricultural fields.
The villagers also follow a largely organic farming practice, using cow dung and urine collected from their cattle as manure.
They say this has reduced their dependence on chemical fertilisers and helped them make better use of resources available within the village.
To manage the cattle collectively, the villagers employ three cattle grazers. They collect the animals from different households and take them to the fields for grazing. By sharing milk within the village and using cattle waste as manure, residents say they have reduced their dependence on packaged milk and chemical fertilisers, choosing a system built around community use of what they already produce.