Two Punjab Sisters Build a 22-Animal Dairy Farm

Jashanpreet Kaur, 19, and Supandeep Kaur, 17, run the dairy business with their parents in Ladhuwala Uttar village, in Punjab’s Fazilka district. The herd consists of crossbred cows and Murrah buffaloes, and its livestock is valued at approximately ₹30 lakh.

The sisters begin work at about 4:30am, before attending classes and handling household responsibilities. Their tasks include feeding the animals, cleaning the shed, milking by hand and delivering milk directly to customers. Their working day often continues until the evening.

The family restarted dairy farming seven or eight years ago after two cows died. Their father, Gurvinder Singh, owned 2.5 acres of inherited land and drove a school van to support the household. Jashanpreet and Supandeep, then aged 11 and nine, encouraged their parents to try again with a buffalo supplied by a relative and began helping in the cattle shed.

The farm now produces around 100kg of fresh milk each day, generating daily sales of about ₹5,000. The family also raises and sells calves and heifers with high genetic value. Each animal sells for between ₹70,000 and ₹1.25 lakh, while the operation’s overall profit margin is reported at 40% to 50%.

Income from the enterprise has enabled the family to repay its original bank debt. It has also bought agricultural equipment, a tractor and a car, and leased more land to grow forage. The sisters are locally known as “Mehnati Kudiyan”, or “hardworking girls”.

Jashanpreet is studying for a B.Sc. in fashion design and plans to open a boutique. Supandeep is completing a degree through distance education and preparing for a career in the police. Jashanpreet had passed the IELTS examination with plans to move abroad, but the family decided to remain together in Punjab.