Career As A Dairy Specialist: The Big Cheese

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 Pay Off

Supervisor (entry-level): R15,000 to R20,000 a month

Private sector: R16,000 to R50,000 a month

CEO in a co-operative: R45,000 to R50,000 a month

Corporates pay almost double, says Dr Parekh. It's learnt that a private conglomerate signed up a CEO for R54 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

 
Source: HT Horizons

Date: 11th February, 2011

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