MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

BAKERIES.

THE TWO TOWNS HAD 15 BAKERIES, of which 11 were in Chiplun located mostly in ward No. VII and Ratnagiri had four situated in ward Nos. III and IV. The total employment in them, both at Chiplun and Ratnagiri was 31, out of whom nine were paid employees. Two bakeries, one started in 1952 and the other in 1956, were selected for survey in Chiplun. One was a seasonal establishment while the other was perennial. The capital for starting them was raised by the owners from their own resources.

They baked breads, biscuits, toasts, and nankatais. Their equipment consisted of large wooden tables to prepare dough, an oven, and accessories and equipment such as tin trays, small iron sheet boxes to bake breads, long iron bars, moulds, biscuit presses, and furniture like cup-boards etc. The cost of equipment of these two shops was Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 4,000 respectively. They spent Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 annually on repairs of equipment. The capital investment of one shop was about Rs. 9,000 and of the other about Rs. 4,000. The use of modern machinery was entirely absent and most of the work was done by hand by persons who had acquired the necessary skill through experience.

One establishment was situated in rented premises, the rent being Rs. 35 per month. The other was housed in the owned permises. They spent about Rs. 7-8-0 on electricity per month. One establishment was paying Rs. 12 as municipal tax per month.

The raw materials which are used for the manufacture of bread are wheat-flour, sugar, yeast, hydrogenated vegetable oil and fuel. One establishment consumed 25 bags of wheat flour and two bags of sugar and about 300 lbs. of hydrogenated oil per month. The other consumed about eight bags of wheat flour and 90 lbs. of hydrogenated oil. The shops were managed by the owners with the help of paid servants. The total wage bill of the establishments was Rs. 300 and Rs. 120 per month, respectively.

The prices of loaves of bread, butter-biscuits and toasts produced in them were as follows. Twelve loaves of bread were sold at, from annas eight to annas nine. A dozen of butter-biscuits was sold at annas two and toasts at from annas five to annas eight; pound of biscuits was sold at from annas twelve to one rupee. These articles were sold directly to all customers. Sales were more or less normal throughout the year. The profit margin in both the bakeries was considerable.

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