The Gazetteers Department

The origin of this occupation could he traced to well over 125 years back. The bakeries were then started to cater to the needs of the European officials However developments in various fields during the last few years, and change in the food habits of the people have led to a considerable expansion of the bakery business. The consumption of processed food-stuffs like bread and cakes has gained so much popularity that they are now readily available even in small villages. The bakeries are localised in urban areas and are found at taluka and district places. In a village, the grocer or the pedlar supplies the require-ments of the people by making his purchases from bakeries in urban areas. At times the bread and cakes are prepared locally on a small scale.

Sugar, soda, hydrogenated oils, ghee, maida (wheat Hour) are the raw materials required by a bakery. Generally all these items are purchased locally. Ten to twelye maunds of maida, two maunds of sugar, hydrogenated oil and ghee together constitute the quota for a month, for a unit of average size, whereas large sized bakery requires almost double the quantity. In the case of such an establishment the expenditure on raw materials amounts to Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 per month. On the other hand a small, sized establishment spends from Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 on the same item.

A large wooden table to prepare the dough, a bhatti or oven, tin trays, small, iron sheets, boxes to bake bread, long iron rods, vessels, moulds and cupboards, baskets etc., constitute the equipment of a bakery of an average size. The cost of a bhatti varies from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,500 whereas the cost of other equipment of a small unit varies from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,400. A big unit spends from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000 on various items of equipment.

Large sized bakeries employ paid workers. The medium and small sized establishments are managed by a single proprietor who occasionally seeks the assistance of his family members. Where outside workers are employed wages paid to them depend upon the nature of the work. An unskilled labourer gets about a rupee or two whereas a baker is paid more than Rs. 4 per day. Skilled labourers are sometimes employed on a monthly basis, their wages varying between Rs. 70 and Rs. 100.

Bread, cakes and biscuits are the main products of these bakeries. However bread accounts for the major portion of the total production. The products of a bakery are sold either on wholesale or retail basis. The turnover of a big establishment varies between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3,000, whereas in case of a small sized unit it varies from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1,200. The sales are mostly on cash basis. On an average a medium sized bakery earns a net income varying between Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 4,000 per annum. The bakeries have almost continuous business throughout the year.

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