VISAKHAPATNAM: Donkeys may be the butt of jokes but the nutritional quality of donkey milk seems to be no laughing matter. After all it was said to be the secret of Egyptian princess Cleopatra’s glowing beauty.And now, despite the bifurcation trouble brewing in the state, a group of nomads from the north Telangana region have arrived in north coastal Andhra with a herd of donkeys and are doing brisk business selling donkey milk that they claim has medicinal value for newborn babies.G Lingamma, a woman spotted with a pair of donkeys and surrounded by milk buyers at Sivajipalem in the city on Thursday, said a group of 20 people comprising four families had arrived in the district few days ago from Mancherial town in Adilabad district of Telangana along with 15 pairs of donkeys to sell donkey’s milk that is believed to be a remedy for curing asthma and any respiratory problems in newborns.“We are selling a cup (25 ml) of fresh donkey milk for Rs 200. If anybody wants it in bulk we can sell it for Rs 2000 per litre. Despite the steep prices, people who believe in donkey milk therapy are buying it without trying to bargain. Each one of us is currently able to earn nearly Rs 700-800 per day by selling the milk in the city. We had come here last year too and after completing our tour of Vizag city we will go to Vijayawada,” Lingamma said.Meanwhile, housewife K Satyavathi, who bought 75 ml milk from Lingamma, said they used to buy donkey milk from Salur in Vizianagaram district. “My daughter recently gave birth to a baby boy. I was very happy when I heard that the donkey milk seller is roaming in our street. It’ good for my grandson’s health as feeding donkey milk to a newborn is nothing but administering good ayurveda medicine,” Satyavathi explained.Concurring with Satyavathi’s statement, a senior ayurveda doctor, V Suseela, from Sri Ayurveda Health Centre Srinagar, said that donkey milk is the best medicine for newborns suffering from asthma, tuberculosis and throat infections. Explaining its medicinal value, V Venkateswara Rao, joint director, department of animal husbandry, Visakhapatnam district, said that though donkey milk is similar to human breast milk, it is relatively poor in protein and fat but rich in lactose. “It has been used since ancient times to battle asthma and respiratory allergies and is fed to babies aged between 6-8 months for good health. The milk also enjoys a good demand in metros like Bangalore and Chennai. It also helps skin become smooth and glowing and is used in cosmetic products. It is no coincidence that Cleopatra used to bathe daily in donkey’s milk and 700 donkeys were milked everyday just for her,” Venkateswara Rao said. According to him, donkey milk is very famous in European countries and cheese made from donkey milk is the world’s costliest dairy product.