Problems faced by Bakery Owners in Kerala

PROBLEMS FACED BY BAKERY INDUSTRY IN CENTRAL TRAVANCORE

SUBMITTED BY AMAL P ASHOK (093364) & SAARANG M N (093451) UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MR. PRADOSH PAI

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND CATERING TECHNOLOGY G.V RAJA ROAD, KOVALAM, TRIVANDRUM. FOR THE YEAR

(2009-2012)

CERTIFICATE This is to certify that AMAL P ASHOK and SAARANG M N, 3 rd year students of Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kovalam, Trivandrum has successfully completed the Research on ‘The study on Problems faced by Bakery Industry in Central Travancore’, In partial fulfillment of the requirement of the third year BSc hospitality and hotel administration programme.

Dr. J PREMCHAND

PRADOSH PAI

(Research coordinator)

(Research Guide)

L.V. KUMAR (Principal, IHMCT Kovalam)

(External Examiner)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TOPIC The study on Problems faced by Bakery Industry in Central Travancore OBJECTIVES 

To analyze the problems faced by the Bakery Industry in Southern Travancore

 To analyze the causes for the problems or crisis  To give suitable suggestions and recommendations based on the study METHODOLOGY  The primary data was collected from internet, books, and magazine.  Bakery owners from Central Travancore were selected in random & questionnaires were issued for them for collecting data. IMPORTANT FINDINGS  Scarcity of labour.  Increasing price of raw materials. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS  Women workers should also be brought into the industry as there are no huge physical tasks involved.  Bulk purchase of raw materials from the same dealers so as to get quality products and better discounts.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The research on ‘Problems faced by Bakery Industry in Central Travancore’ was successfully accomplished for the academic year 2011-2012. We would like to express our gratitude to the Principal, Mr. L.V.KUMAR, who constantly played an important role in helping me to complete the research in permitted time. We also express our heartfelt gratitude to our research guide, MR. PRADOSH PAI, who has given us such a lively guidance, without whom we could not have completed this research up to the required standards. The biggest of thanks go to our parents who not only inspired us to go ahead with doing this work but also provided us with all the assistance. We would also like to thank all the staff members and our friends who directly or indirectly involved in this project. Above all, we express our sincere gratitude to “GOD ALMIGHTY”.

(AMAL P ASHOK & SAARANG M N)

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION The bakery industry in India is probably the largest among the processed food industries, production of which has been increasing steadily in the country. The two major bakery industries being biscuit and bread account for about 84% of the total bakery products. The annual production of the bakery products which include bread, biscuits, pastries, cakes, buns, rusk, etc. most of which are in the unorganized sector, is estimated to be in excess of 30 lakh tons. The bakery industry in India still remains largely unorganized and dominated by the small bakers. Currently, there are an estimated two million bakers across the country engaged in the production of bread, biscuits and other products. The Indian bakery market is still in the early stage of its development. Bakery items are not very high on the list of priorities for the masses. Though the public awareness of the industry is nearly 100%, its penetration in rural areas is 15-20% and in urban areas 60%. India’s baking industry comprises mainly of three segments- bread, biscuits and cakes. As per the estimates of Ministry of Food Processing Industries (FPI) , the markets for bread, biscuits and cakes are estimated around at 1.5 million tons, 1 million tons and 0.5 million tons respectively. During the past few years, bakery products have shown positive growth in volume and customer base. But this growth has mainly come from bread and biscuit segment. While the bread types are still limited , biscuits, which have been popular for very long now, provide a wide range of variety both in terms of quality and taste. Bread and biscuits have grown largely because these products are manufactured by the unorganized sector (75 percent) and by nature the product is perishable, and only the local manufacturers hold a sizeable chunk of the market as they were reserved for the small-scale industry earlier. Also, bread to some extent is

consumed as a food supplement in the urban areas. Cakes and pastries do not have a growth rate like biscuits and bread because the volume is growing only in urban areas. Bread and biscuits form the core of the bakery industry in India.

BAKERY INDUSTRY Bakery industry today has an important place in the industrial map of the country. The annual turnover at present is estimated at over 2000 crores. The bakery industry comprises mainly of bread, biscuits, cakes and pastries manufacturing units. Though there are several large and small scale organised units, manufacturing both bread and biscuits, most of the bakery products in India are being produced by unorganised small family units. Bakery products once considered as a sick man's diet have now become essential food items of vast majority of population in India. It is becoming popular even in places where rice has been the staple food. The contributing factors for the popularity of bakery products are urbanisation resulting in increased demand for ready to eat convenient product, availability at reasonable cost, greater nutritional quality, availability of varieties with different textural and taste profiles and better taste. The bakery products have become popular among all cross section of populations irrespective of age group, and economic conditions. Here, we are going to have a look on the present Bakery Industry, its problems and the best possible ways of solving those problems by taking in a specific area as the Area of Study. As we know, the Industry is facing a lot of problems which needs to be solved for the wellbeing of the whole Bakery Industry, as well as the workers and the owners. So in order to solve the problems, first of all we should have a plan which tells what to do when? The first step which should be taken is the proper analysis of the prevailing conditions and from that the possible causes can be understood and that should be followed by the plans

which states how these causes can be avoided, which would ultimately result in solving all the problems and issues that adds to the crisis of the Bakery Industry. The reason behind the selection of this topic is that this Industry is flourishing day by day and the role of a Bakery in a common man’s life has also increased at a rapid rate. But after all these positive news, the Industry is still described as the one which is under crisis. Usually for Consumer product related companies, crisis mainly occur when the trend changes and the demand for the product goes down but as far as this industry is concerned, things are not the same. Its doing well and is being accepted by the public still now but for various other reasons its facing a big crisis and running a bakery successfully has become a big task. So lets analyse the problems faced, the causes behind those and then suggest some measures which would help in eliminating them and finally improve the condition of Bakery Industry. OBJECTIVES

 To analyze the problems faced by the Bakery Industry in Southern Travancore  To analyze the causes for the problems or crisis  To give suitable suggestions and recommendations based on the study

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

WHAT IS BAKING? Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by thermal radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers. Such items are sometimes referred to as "baked goods," and are sold at a bakery. A person who prepares baked goods as a profession is called a baker. It is also used for the preparation of baked potatoes, baked apples, baked beans, some casseroles and pasta dishes such as lasagna, and various other foods, such as the pretzel. Many commercial ovens are provided with two heating elements: one for baking, using convection and conduction to heat the food, and one for broiling or grilling, heating mainly by radiation. Meat may also be baked, but this is usually reserved for meatloaf, smaller cuts of whole meats, and whole meats that contain stuffing or coating such as breadcrumbs or buttermilk batter; larger cuts prepared without stuffing or coating are more often roasted, process, using higher temperatures and shorter cooking times. Baking can sometimes be combined with grilling to produce a hybrid barbecue variant, by using both methods simultaneously or one before the other, cooking twice. Baking is connected to barbecuing because the concept of the masonry oven is similar to that of a smoke pit. The baking process does not require any fat to be used to cook in an oven. Some makers of snacks such as potato chips or crisps have produced baked versions of their snack items as an alternative to the usual cooking method of deepfrying in an attempt to reduce the calorie or fat content of their snack

products. Baking has opened up doors to businesses like cake making factories and privatised cake shops but the baking process is done in a more larger mass in bigger and open furnaces. HISTORY OF BREAD Bread is the history of the humanity which you contemplate. Bread is the very base of our food since millennia; it is the privileged witness of the history of mankind and of its civilization. As a spiritual symbol, it has accompanied religious festivals and rites. With the whims of nature and military campaigns, the bread has been token of opulence or misery, of constraint or freedom. Lack of bread caused famine in the Middle-Ages, protests because of the bread events happened "rather recently". The first one was the manufacture of the microscope by Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). Yeast is a rather recent invention. A major breakthrough was made thanks to the work of Louis Pasteur. He demonstrated that the fermentation process is caused by the price at the dawn of the French revolution, bread rationing during World War II, the success of white bread in the post-war period and until recently the rediscovery of tasty whole grain bread, made with sourdough. Two important growth of microorganisms, and that the growth of microorganisms in nutrient broths is not due to spontaneous generation. Without the work of Louis Pasteur and the discoveries he made, we would not be able to understand and to make sourdough. And last but not least, in the 50's, a real scientific breakthrough, the important discovery of the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick. The very knowledge of it will be the basis for further research and developments into the production of taste specific sourdoughs. A new microbiological era will be born. It's difficult to know how and when the first ovens started to appear. Nevertheless a number of different models have been found in Middle East. Bell

shaped cupola or dome: a fire was made in such a way that much glowing or smoldering wood was left. The bell was positioned above the glowing coal until it was sufficiently hot. The coal was removed and the wafer was placed under the dome. First appearance of the so called "tanur" ovens. Basically these are clay pots partially sunk into smouldering ashes, having a shape of truncated cone. Invented in the East, it is still used nowadays in countries like Egypt and India. Certain later models were posed on the ground and had at the base a system of a heard that could be moved. These were the first fixed ovens. The furnace itself was bell-shaped which had a frontal opening which can be closed during baking. The big advantage of this oven was that thicker wafers could be baked in this type oven. The Sumerians, rulers of Mesopotamia from 2900 until 1800 BC, invented the plough. As a result there was an agricultural boom. Staple food was barley and wheat, but there are no elements attesting the production and consumption of fermented bread. However the Sumerians controlled the manufacture of beer and thus knew what fermentation was. Taking into account the difficulty and painstaking task of manual grinding and the imperfection of the first sieves, pure white flour was used to make the pastries which were offered to the many divinities. The ritual cakes held an important place in the religious ceremonies. One can thus say that patisserie came before bread In Egypt cereals governed the economy of the country. Common people consumed barley and for the elite, bakery products were undoubtedly made from wheat. The presence of baker at the court of the Pharaoh is attested towards 2700 BC. Although the nuance between bread and pastry is not obvious, Egyptologists estimate that there were about fifteen varieties of breads towards 2700 BC and forty towards 1500 BC. The techniques of grinding barley or wheat were not sophisticated, so much so that the Egyptians, considered big bread-eaters, had shabby teeth because of the presence of fine stone grit in the flour. Various techniques of manufacture of the

bread followed one another. Rather liquid pastes were cooked in terra cotta moulds, other pastes were kneaded with the feet. Oldest known code of law, the code of Hammourabi, sixth king of the first dynasty of Babylon, talks about of the beer and drinkable bread. This is an additional testimony of the astonishing proximity of these two types of products. It is impossible to know which percentage of the population consumed raised bread, and what characteristics this type of bread had. However it is almost certain that leavened bread existed at that time (about 2100 BC). 1200 BC: the Hebrew people knew, as well as other people, leavened bread since at the time of the exodus "people carried dough before it was raised". But they also consumed wafers. Abraham called to Sarah "quickly knead three measurements of the purest flour and make breads cooked under ash". Discoveries in tombs have shown that sourdough has been used in rye breads north of the Alps since the end of the Bronze Age (800 BC). It is estimated that in the first century BC sourdough bread was generally known throughout the world. The Greeks were not big consumers of raised bread, they ate various cereals and in particular a kind of crepe made from refined barley flour. Due to commercial contacts with Egypt towards 800 BC, the Greeks will discover bread. Towards 600 BC leavened bread was regarded as a delicacy and was reserved to the Egyptian ambassadors only. The invention of the mill (found in the town of Olynthus in Greece) with a rotating motion (actuated by slaves) will constitute a net progress. Initially this mill was used to crush olives but there is no doubt that this new machine replaced in no time the more primitive mortars and grinding stones.

In Greece around 500 BC bread is sold on the markets of Athens and Sparta. The quantities of fermented bread are rather small because leavened bread was only eaten on religious festivities. But the Greeks were the first to invent "powdered sourdough". They made a kind of sourdough using millet and bran which was mixed with the most of crushed grapes. In 363 BC, Dinias (Greek author) writes: "the bread which is carried on this table and even the one which is bought at the market is of a bright whiteness and an astonishing taste". The art to manufacture it (the white flour), sophisticated at last century in Sicily by a baker called Codesto Thearion, appears on our table in all its splendour. Dinias wrote: "We have today thousand means of transforming all the kinds of flour into a food as healthy as pleasant. Add a little milk or oil and salt to the flour and you will obtain the most delicate breads." The manual rotary grinding stones appear about at the same period in various countries. Trade facilitates the diffusion of these inventions and technology transfers take place. The Lydians (Lydia was a kingdom in Asia Minor, situated in the present Turkey) were excellent in the manufacture of ovens, the Parthians (the Parthian Empire was situated in ancient Persia) were considered skilful bakers. The Romans, traditionally consuming cereal porridges, discover the taste of bread. The noble Romans will bring Greek and Lydian bakers to Rome to work in their villa to make various breads for them. Cato speaks about kneading like innovation. It is perhaps only at that time that someone took particular care to kneading. Seeing that strong people were needed in order to obtain well developed dough, men started to replace the women in the manufacture of the bread. Invention of the mill with animal haulage. These rotary horse-gear mills will allow to obtain much larger quantities of flour.

Wheat mill (Turkey)

The Romans will promote the cultivation of wheat, the grain does not require anymore being grilled or crushing before milling and because of that the flour contains more gluten. Towards 100 AD, the wheat will be cultivated throughout the Roman Empire on a large scale. 60 BC: Roman engineers invent the hydraulic mill. Their diffusion will spread out between 100 BC and 400 AD. Moreover a system of conical grinding stones with variable spacing will be born. It is probable that that will result in a relative improvement of the quality of the flour. 14 AD: foundation of a college for millers and bakers in Rome. This caused a significant progression of the bread culture in the food of the Romans. Pistore which means manufacturer and crusher seems to be the first name of the professional bakers. 30 AD: the kneader of Eurizaces On the monumental tomb of the master baker Eurizaces appears a machine used to mix the dough which moved by a horse. Undoubtedly the oldest mechanical kneader! The whole of the scenes represented, testifies to the large size of these flour-milling-bakeries which ensured the free distribution of cereals and breads. Fine white flour was for the nobles, whole wheat flour was used for the bread for the people. Pline considered it regrettable that there different types of flour and that the bread of the poor is not the same as that of poor. The "panis plebeuis" was made with flour and bran, the "panis hordeacus", based on barley, was intended for the slaves. 79 AD: flour-milling bakery of Pompeii. Pompeii had 33 bakeries. The bakery of Modestus is quite well preserved and still can be visited today. It shows clearly that flour milling and baking was done in the same area. The type of

oven, as it can be seen in that bakery, will be built until the beginning of the twentieth century.

bread shop in Pompeii

bakery of Modestus: oven in the back left, wheat grinding machines in front

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages begin. Europe was decentralised, rural and parochial. The powerful ruled while the poor tried to survive. There was no sense of progress and fatalism and superstition prevailed. Belief in the eminent end of the world was common. The main problem was to have food and ever so often periods of severe famine characterised daily life. The phrase "Our daily bread" was a concrete reality during the Middle-Ages. Food intake among all social classes consisted mainly of cereals, usually in the form of bread and, to a lesser extent, gruel, porridge and pasta. Estimates of bread consumption all over Europe are fairly similar: around 1–1,5 kg of bread per person per day. The importance of bread as a daily staple meant that bakers played a crucial role in any medieval community. Among the first town guilds to be organized were the bakers', and laws and regulations were passed to keep bread prices stable. The English "Assize of Bread and Ale" of 1266 listed extensive tables where the size, weight, and price of a loaf of bread were regulated in relation to grain prices. The baker's profit margin stipulated in the tables was later increased through successful lobbying from the London Baker's Company by adding the cost of everything from firewood and salt to the baker's wife, house and dog. Since bread was such a central part of the medieval diet, swindling by those who were trusted with supplying the precious commodity to the community was considered a serious offense. Bakers who were caught tampering with weights or diluting their doughs with less expensive ingredients could receive severe penalties. This gave rise to the expression "a baker's dozen": a baker would give 13 for the price of 12, to be certain of not being known as a cheat. The custom of leavening the dough by the addition of a ferment was not universally adopted. For this reason, as the dough without leaven could only produce heavy and indigestible bread, they made the bread very thin. These loaves served as plates for cutting up the other food upon, and when they

became saturated with the sauce and gravy they were eaten as cakes. These were called trenchers. The use of trenchers remained long in fashion even at the most splendid banquets. It would be difficult to point out the exact period at which leavening bread was adopted in Europe, but we can assert that in the Middle Ages it was anything but general. "Yeast" was reserved for pastry, and it was only at the end of the sixteenth century that bakers used it for bread. At first the trades of miller and baker were carried on by the same person. The man who undertook the grinding of the grain had ovens near his mill, which he let to his lord to bake bread, when he did not confine his business to persons who sent him their corn to grind. Loaves varied in form, quality and consequently in name, there were at least twenty sorts of bread made during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries with names such as the court loaf, the pope's loaf, the knight's loaf, the squire's loaf, the peer's loaf and the varlet's loaf. The "table loaves," were served at the tables of the rich, were of such a convenient size that one of them would suffice for a man of ordinary appetite, even after the crust was cut off, which it was considered polite to offer to the ladies, who soaked it in their soup. For the servants an inferior bread was baked, called "common bread.". In many counties they sprinkled the bread, before putting it into the oven, with powdered linseed. Bread made with barley, oats, or millet was always ranked as coarse food, to which the poor only had recourse in years of want. Barley bread was used as a kind of punishment. Monks who had committed any serious offence against discipline were condemned to live on it for a certain period. Rye bread was held of very little value, and it was very generally used among the country people. Black wheat, or buck wheat, which was introduced into Europe by the Moors and Saracens when they conquered Spain, quickly spread to northern Europe which helped to ease the problems caused by famine.

At mealtimes, servants set up the trestle tables and spread the cloths, setting steel knives, silver spoons, dishes for salt, silver cups, and mazers - shallow silver-rimmed wooden bowls. At each place was a trencher or manchet, a thick slice of day-old bread serving as a plate for the roast meat. Meals were announced by a horn blown to signal time for washing hands. Servants with ewers, basins, and towels attended the guests. After grace, the procession of servants bearing food began. First came the pantler with the bread and butter, followed by the butler and his assistants with the wine and beer. One of the most vital features of medieval feasts were trenchers, plates cut from stale loaves of bread and which were used to hold food, salt, and even candles during the feast. Every diner ate off one, and there were even servants whose specific task during mealtime was the carving and presentation of trenchers, the finest and most delicate given to the king or ranking nobility. Used trenchers, full of sauces and covered in bits of food, were given to the dogs or presented to the poor, who waited hungrily outside, as alms. After its importance as food, the most useful role bread played at table was as a plate, or trencher. A trencher could be made of many different materials, earthenware, wood, or metal, but well into the sixteenth century it was often made of bread. The word is derived from the French verb trenchier or trancher, to cut, and the plate was made freshly for each meal by cutting off a slice from the loaf. It soaked up gravy, and could be eaten by the diner, tossed to a favourite dog, or tidied away with all the other remains and given to the poor. A clean trencher was prepared once or twice during an elaborate meal as the table was swept clean between each course. Any man who ate his own trencher must have been particularly hungry, as the bread used was rather coarse and stale, to make it solid enough for the purpose. The flour was unbolted and the loaf itself several days old: "trencher bred iii

dayes (old) is convenyent and agreeable." The Goodman of Paris adds the information that a trencher should be "half a foot wide and four inches high". In texture it was close and firm enough to be used sometimes as a candle holder. An ordinary diner made his own trencher after he sat down at the table, by cutting off a slice from the nearest loaf, but the most important people present expected to be served. The bread bore silent witness to their status. One manual suggests three trenchers for the master of the household, two for his son, and one for the least distinguished at the table. The Egyptians Records show that already in the years 2600-2100 B.C. bread was baked by Egyptians, who it is believed had learned the skill from the Babylonians. A relief representing the royal bakery of Ramses features bread and cakes, some of these were shaped in the form of animals and used for sacrifices. Other early records, this time by the Greek scholar (Aristophanes 450-385 B.C), show the existence of honey flans and patterned tortes. According to Aristophanes, the ancient Greeks also had a type of doughnut made from crude flour and honey called “Dispyrus” a ring-cake that was submerged in wine and consumed hot.

HISTORY OF BAKERY IN KERALA

It is the tradition of Malayalees that they accept any new ideas coming from Overseas extending both hands whole heartedly. They have shown courage to experiment even in their food habits adapting to new styles. For breakfast they introduced Bread and Jam and for Birthday parties, cake cutting practice was started. The credit of introducing a new variety of food item to the inventory of tastes of Malayalees goes to Mambally Bakery in Thalassery. It was started by Mambally Bappu in 1880 and it has grown to a large bakery establishment with its roots all over Kerala. It was in 1880, when no one dared to speak a word against the British. On the Christmas evening in 1880, a guest came to the Biscuit factory at Thalassery. It was Mr Bown, a British planter from the Cinnamon Plantation in Ancharakandy. He came with a piece of cake and asked Bappu to make a similar one. He was seeing the cake for the first time and he had no idea about its ingredients. Within a short time, Bappu’s culinary skills did its wonders and when the English man left the shop, he had given orders for a dozen cakes. Malayalees tasted the sweetness of cakes for the first time from Mambally’s Royal Biscuit Factory, the first Bakery establishment in Kerala. Later on many bakeries were started by the Mambally’s in different parts of Kerala and are still one of the favorities of common man.

HISTORY OF PASTRY MAKING

The many different kinds of pastry which are made in Britain today have evolved over the centuries from a crude flour and water dough mixture invented by the Romans. The paste was wrapped around meat and game before roasting and was not intended to be eaten. It served only to retain meat juices and aroma. As time passed the pastry was enriched with fat and milk, and began vaguely to resemble today’s shortcrust. By Medieval times, pastry-making was wellestablished and rich-crust pastry covering known as coffers became as important as the fruit, meat, fish and game pies they covered. As different areas and localities developed their own puddings and pies, many pastry variations emerged from the basic fat, flour and water recipe. Perhaps the most famous of all is the 14th century raised hot water crust. This was indigenous to Britain and was used with meat and game pies. It was moulded from the inside with a clenched fist, in the same way as a clay pot and then filled and baked until crisp and brown. The method is perpetuated in Melton Mowbray pork pies. By the 17th century, both flaky and puff pastries were being used for elaborate pies and the decorations and intricate patterns on the finished pies were works of art. Later still, continental pastry making was added to the ever-growing number of recipes, and yet today, the basic art of pastry making is much as it has been for centuries Dating from an age when baking day was a major event, firing up a hot oven, large batches of pies were made and then stored in a cool larder for later use. Traditional crust finishes were based on the need to identify savoury from sweet pies in storage. Savoury pies were decorated with pastry leaves, tassels etc, and glazed with beaten egg for a rich colour. The fluting (scalloped edge) was widely spaced, say 2-fingers width.

Sweet pies were not adorned. If glazed, egg white only was used, or simply water with a dusting of fine sugar. The fluting was closer together, 1-finger width.

POPULAR BAKERY PRODUCTS

 Bread  Biscuit  Cake  Sandwich  Puffs  Cutlet  Bun  Burger

BASIC BAKERY INGREDIENTS

 Wheat and Flour  Sugar  Egg  Shortening  Milk & Milk products  Cocoa & Chocolate  Yeast  Chemical leavening agents  Salt, Spices & Flavourings  Icings & Toppings

EQUIPMENTS USED IN BAKERY

 Electric Oven  Dough mixer cum Whipper  Commercial gas range  Mixi  Work tables with drawers  Movable ranges  Store cupboard  Marble racks for Pastry  Shelving unit  Bins for storage  Sinks  Fridge  Utensils  Depanners

MACHINES USED IN BAKERY

ELECTRIC OVEN

SPIRAL MIXER

FLOUR SIFTER

PASTRY SHEETER

BREAD SLICER

CREAM FILLER

DIVIDER

SUGAR GRINDER

LOAF MOULDER

METHODOLOGY

METHODOLOGY  Selection of Area: In order to undertake the study of problems faced by the Bakery Industry effectively, the selection of an area is very important and the place selected here is Central Travancore which includes Tiruvalla, Changanassery and Chenganur . The study was conducted among the famous bakeries in the town area and all their opinions and problems have been noted down.  Selection of Subject: The Subject has been selected because of the increasing crisis in the Bakery Industry even though the business is going quite well. So an attempt has been made to understand the issues affecting the wellbeing of the industry and figure out some steps which would help in eliminating the current crisis

1. Methods Adopted: In order to gather various information useful for the study, various methods have been adopted here and they are Questionnaire method and Personal interview. 2. Questionnaire Method: It is a Performa for collecting data from the selected subjects like local proprietors and workers in which different guest were asked to find out problems faced by people, the working conditions prevailing their needs and their opinions regarding various issues. 3. Personal Interview: It is a method of collecting primary data from people through a face to face interview. In this, there are no fixed questions the questions asked will be according to the wish of the interviewer. 4. Secondary Data: It is the second hand data which is collected from various other sources like Internet and books. FAMOUS BAKERIES  BEST BAKERY  TOWN BAKERY  ANNAM BAKERY  ANNS BAKERY  JOECEES BAKERS  PAMPA BAKERS  GREENS BAKERY  THOMPSON BAKERY

 OVEN FRESH BAKERS  JAI HIND BAKERY

DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS

DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS The different points concerning the working of the bakery industry are:  Raw Materials  Electricity charges  Taxes  Skilled Man power  Licenses  Job Security  Statutory Benefits

 Weekly Off  Salary  Rest hours

All the information displayed about the above points is as per the survey conducted among the Bakers in the Area of Study.

RAW MATERIALS Table no: 4.1

Available in

Yes

%

No

%

2

20%

8

80%

8

80%

2

20%

Tiruvalla High Cost

`Source: Primary Data Graph 4.1

In Survey, it is been showed that most of the raw materials are not available in the local market and if available, the quality of those products are not upto the mark and the prices are also high. In such cases, the producers are forced to compromise with the quality of the products which is not a good practice. Because of these reasons most of the raw materials are procured from outside

ELECTRICITY CHARGES Table no: 4.2 Yes

%

No

%

High Charges

10

100%

0

0

Uninterrupted

8

80%

2

20%

supply Source: Primary Data Graph 4.2

As far as Electricity charges are concerned all the producers agree that its high and the Government must reduce it at least for the big establishments. However most of them also agree to the fact that they are getting an uninterrupted supply

TAXES Table no: 4.3

High Taxes?

Yes

%

No

%

7

70%

3

30%

Source: Primary Data Graph 4.3

In the survey, there is a mixed opinion among different producers. Most of them feel that the taxes are really high and some feel that they are reasonable. This difference may be due to the scale of their operations. Some may be large scale and some may be small in nature.

SKILLED MAN POWER Table no: 4.4

Scarce?

Yes

%

No

%

10

100%

0

0

Source: Primary Data Graph 4.4

All the producers equally admit the fact that there is scarcity of skilled man power. “Forget Skilled man power, there is a shortage of ordinary labours in this industry” words of Mr. Prithviraj who is the Entrepreneur of Mambally’s Best Bakery, Tiruvalla. LICENSES Table no: 4.5

Easy to

Yes

%

No

%

10

100%

0

0

Obtain? Source: Primary Data Graph 4.5

Through the study conducted, it is being found out that licenses can be easily obtained through application and that’s not at all an issue to worry for future entrepreneurs.

JOB SECURITY Table no: 4.6

Production

Yes

%

No

%

5

50%

0

0

3

30%

2

20%

Staff’s job security Salesman’s job security Source: Primary Data

Graph 4.6

Actually the job security is very much there now a days as there is a scarcity of employees in this industry. Apart from Salesman, workers in the production unit are very rare to find and due to that reason alone, all the workers in the production units have cent percent job security STATUTORY BENEFITS Table no: 4.7

Benefits

Yes

%

No

%

0

0

10

100%

provided? Source: Primary Data Graph 4.7

Statutory Benefits except Bonus are not at all provided by the Entrepreneurs to their staffs and this is the condition in all the establishments.

WEEKLY OFF Table no: 4.8

Off given?

Yes

%

No

%

10

100%

0

0

Source: Primary Data

Graph 4.8

Weekly Off has been given to all the employees as most of the bakeries production units do not work on Sundays. For Salesmen, common off day wont be provided.

SALARY Table no: 4.9 Yes

%

No

%

Good Salary?

2

20%

8

80%

Paid for

8

80%

2

20%

Overtime? Source: Primary Data Graph 4.9

In the survey, it is being found that most of the workers are not satisfied with the salary they are being provided with and this may be the main reason behind the scarcity of employees in this industry. Except one or two, everybody has got a problem with their pay package. But everybody is getting paid for the overtime work which they are doing.

REST HOURS Table no: 4.10

Proper rest

Yes

%

No

%

6

60%

4

40%

given? Source: Primary Data Graph 4.10

Rest hours during work are only given during lunch time according to the survey.

FINDINGS

FINDINGS This study was an attempt to find out the problems faced by the owners of bakeries in Central Travancore . As a result of the study conducted on the problems faced by the Bakery Industry, many points have been found out and proper care should be given in solving out those issues. Another main thing to be remembered is that both the owners as well as the employees face a lot of problems. So attempts should be made to solve both parties’ problems through effective methods.

 Years of Experience in the industry: Most of the bakery entrepreneurs prevailing in the market are those who have been running business for years and they believe that Bakery Industry can be carried forward smoothly only if the experience factor is there.  Mode of Sales Promotion: Sales Promotion is one thing which is very important for an establishment especially for a new one; for the older ones also there is a need for further promotion as the competition gets on tighter day by day. So sales can be promoted by proper advertisement on print as well as visual media.  Scarcity of Labour: It is a very important problem faced by the entrepreneurs now a day as they are the ones who actually make the establishment run. Due to the absence of required employees the establishments are not able to produce in large scale and hence it limits any sort of expansion.  High cost of Raw materials: The increasing cost of the raw materials which

often fluctuates is another factor which is creating head ache for

the Entrepreneurs. The prices of the products sold in the bakery cannot be increased every now and then and so sometimes, losses occur for some products when its cost price and selling price is calculated individually.  Ignorance about the usage of machines: Now a days everything is getting mechanized and so as Bakery Industry but the workers in the industry finds it difficult to understand the techniques and methods to be followed while using machines. They must be given some sort of training otherwise the establishments wont be able to bring out the maximum productivity of the machines.

 High taxes and the Electricity charges: The Entrepreneurs are also affected by the various taxes imposed by the Government like VAT, CESS, Sales tax etc. The Electricity charges are also very high even though an uninterrupted supply is provided.

SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS  In order to have skilled man power, qualified people who have done courses regarding Baking can be recruited from different institutions. But in that case, good salary should be provided.  Raw materials should be bought from whole sale dealers who give reasonable discounts on bulk purchases. Buying goods from the same dealer will be better in that case.  Government must reduce the electricity charges for small scale production units also, thus favoring the Bakery Entrepreneurs.  Women workers should also be brought into the industry as there are no huge physical tasks involved.  As far as the employees are concerned, they should be given the proposed benefits in order to make the workers happy.  The Taxes which are involved must be revised once again by the Government and those which are not necessary should be taken off  Weekly Off and Rest hours should be given to promote Employee interests.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY



www.pfisterconsulting.com



www.classoffoods.com



www.foodtimeline.org



www.thalassery.info/bakery.htm

ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name of the Bakery ---------------------------------------------------------2. Name of the Owner ----------------------------------------------------------3. How long have you been doing the business  5-10 years  10-15 years  More than 15 years 4. Are you facing any operational problem?  Yes  No If yes, specify -----------------------------------------------------------5. Electricity Charges?  Very high  High  Reasonable  Low 6. Availability of Raw materials  Available

 Not Available 7. Quality of Raw materials  Very Good  Reasonable  Very Poor 8. High taxes?  Yes  No 9. Man Power  Available  Not Available 10.Difficulty in getting License?  Yes  No