Have you ever tried camel milk? Hungarian researchers are bringing it closer to Europe
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Interest in camel milk has visibly grown in recent years. In Western Europe, it’s starting to appear on store shelves from time to time, while in Hungary, only a few have tasted it. What few people know is that Hungarian specialists played a key role both in building the world’s largest camel farm and in several other large-scale projects.
In Dubai, Hungarian veterinarians kicked off a new era of camel farming
Hungarian involvement began in Dubai in 2006, when, on the ruler’s commission, two Hungarian veterinarians, Péter Nagy and Judit Juhász, set up the Camelicious farm. Today it is the largest facility of its kind, milking around nine thousand camels and operating a modern processing plant. The expertise gained there helped keep Hungarians at the forefront of the industry.
Since then, the Dairy Research Institute (MTKI), part of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), has worked closely with Camelicious. For more than a decade, they’ve carried out joint research and development — a track record that helped attract new partners.
Ten million camels — a huge opportunity in Chad
Chad is in a unique position: it has the world’s largest camel herd, close to ten million animals, yet it still hasn’t broken into the top five camel-milk producers. The potential is enormous, but the nomadic system of husbandry has so far limited commercial returns.
MATE wants to change that. This summer the foundation stone was laid for the Centre of Excellence for Camel Breeding and Camel-Milk Processing in Chad. Construction is due to start in November, financed by the Hungarian side. The new facility will not only process milk but also conduct research, and Hungarian experts will train local professionals. The aim is to raise daily yields from the current 5–7 litres per animal to 10–15 litres, creating a stable, export-ready sector.
