MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

BAKERIES

Bakeries were started originally to cater to the needs of European officers. In due course of time they became popular with ordinary people owing to cheapness and easy availability of their products. In Bhir district they are found in the busy localities and market places of Bhir, Ambejogai, Parali and other towns, where they are operated on a small scale. A sample survey, conducted in the district, gave many distinctive features about the occupation.

It was found that most of them were started with a small initial investment in fixed capital. For, a bakery primarily needs a wooden table to prepare dough, ovens and equipment such as trays, tin-boxes, iron rods and vessels of different sizes, the cost of all of which hardly exceeds Rs. 400. In addition, it also needs cupboards and show-cases to keep its raw materials and finished products.

Although its requirements of fixed capital are small, and do not necessitate the borrowing of funds, the working capital required by an ordinary bakery for purchasing raw materials and preparing finished product ranges between Rs. 450 and Rs. 700 per month.

Most of the bakeries that were surveyed manufactured only bread and biscuits. The products were sold in local markets on wholesale and retail basis with little price differentiation.

Most of the bakeries were run by the proprietors with the assistance -of the members of their families. The latter carried out such duties as bringing raw materials, preparing products and arranging for their disposal. In big establishments, outside labour was also employed. An unskilled labourer was paid a daily wage up to Rs. two while a skilled labourer like a baker was paid up to Rs. 70 per month. In addition to this the proprietors had to incur expenditure for the payment of rent, if they had hired the shop. Rent in such cases ranged between Rs. 50 and Rs. 125 per month.

Among difficulties faced by proprietors in increasing the size of their establishments or enlarging the scope of their business, the important were paucity of demand for their products and rising prices of raw materials. The earnings, of these establishments and therefore, very small. An average bakery earned a net income varying between Rs. 125 and Rs. 175 per month.