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The big cheese
A dairy operation involves production and/or processing, procurement, packaging, storage, quality assurance, transportation, distribution, business/ vendor development, and R&D.
The lowdown
A dairy operation involves production and/or processing, procurement, packaging, storage, quality assurance, transportation, distribution, business/ vendor development, and R&D. The modern industry requires professionals in traditional dairy science and technology as well as in business, economics, and management. You could start as supervisor or sometimes plant manager
Clock Work
An average day of a unit head:
5 am: Get up
7 am: Go for field duty, meet farmers, inspect milk-chilling plants
11 am-5 pm: Work at office
Dairy plants have different shifts, each of usually seven-eight hours
The payoff
Supervisor (entry-level): Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 a month
Private sector: Rs16,000 to Rs50,000 a month
CEO in a co-operative: Rs45,000 to Rs50,000 a month
Corporates pay almost double, says Dr Parekh. It’s learnt that a private conglomerate signed up a CEO for Rs54 lakh a year
Skills/Traits
. You should be tech savvy
. Have a scientific temper
. Love and affection for animals
. Loads of patience to work with the livestock
. Perseverance
How do i get there?
. You need to take up science - physics, chemistry, maths and/or biology and/or English - in Class 11 and 12. Generally, entry is through a test. Earn a bachelor's
degree in dairy science and technology or engineering. A master's degree may help more
. Jobs exist in the private as well as in the cooperative sector
Institutes & urls
. Dairy Science College, Bangalore
www.kvafsu.kar.nic.in
. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
www.ndri.res.in
. SMC College of Dairy Science, Anand
www.aau.in
Pros and Cons
. Growing sector
. Not a high-paying industry
. Monotonous work
. Work happens in shifts
. Have to manage workforce
. Recession-resistant industry
