In this modern fast world where IT and systems are controlling our daily lives, how many of us have thought of the pain people working in the dairy industry are taking for us, so that we can live comfortably in luxury and comfort. Day in and day out they carry these tasks without fail and ensure we continue getting our supply of milk daily. The cows have sadly entered an age where they are only supposed to produce milk mechanically daily, eat food, sleep, take rest etc and be at the mercy of humans. Imagine the plight of the animals.
It was interesting yet painful visiting the milk collection unit in Anekal, one among the seven milk collection points for Bangalore city. There are 7 milk packaging units like the one at Dairy circle, though not as big, in Karnataka. In a day in the morning shift around 40,000 litres of milk and around 35000 litres of milk in the evening shift reach the collection centre from the different dairy farming cooperatives, properly sealed in 40-litre cans. The cans after unloading from the lorries are manually checked for any contamination, bad smell, odour, by a master checker. This is the first level of checking that happens.
The second checking happens when the cans are emptied, one sample is taken from each cooperative lot. Milk is usually tested for many constituents (click here for an FAO document) but mainly at Nandini, it is tested for the quantity, organoleptic (taste, smell etc) and quality (fat, protein etc.) characteristics. The test results for organoleptic and quality characteristics are computerised and logged in. Students were eagerly looking for possible areas of digital transformation at the collection centre.
The milk from each cooperative is strained, not yet homogenised, it may contain buffalo and cow milk combined, weighed and sent to the chiller for cooling purposes at 4 deg Celsius. Based on the weight and fat content, the final remuneration to each cooperative union is calculated and disbursed.
Prevention of contamination of the milk cans is a very important part of the milk collection process. The cans are cleaned using chemical reagents to such a great extent using steam from the boilers inside the plant, that there is no way the cans can get contaminated.
The wastewater from the plant is treated in the in-house treatment plants to a safe standard before disposal. Getting them to potable quality is an expensive process and is avoided. The discharge is ensured to be not dangerous to human, animal or plant life.
The milk collected, sieved, measured, tested for quality in the morning by 9 am is stored in the chiller at 4 deg Celsius and is usually sent to the Dairy circle Nandini plant for homogenization, pasteurization and packaging by afternoon. BTW, the west German designed and installed Dairy circle plant of Nandini is the second largest in the country after the one at Anand in Gujarat.
The milk collection is a process that is happening every day of the year continuously without a break. Milk supply cannot stop. The dedication and efforts of the workers at the collection plant are applaudable and need special mention, the employees are very committed to ensuring that we get the best, hygienic milk in our homes and hostels daily. All the employees were wearing headcovers too ensuring the highest hygienic standards in operation.
Milk fat and Solids-Not-Fat (SNF) are important constituents of milk that determine its price. www.nddb.coop
Being a highly perishable item, the collection, handling, processing, packing and distribution of milk has to be under the strictest standards of hygiene and quality standards, which were seen in the centre.
The visit has exposed the students to understand the possible avenues of digital transformation and the difference between the people participating in the dairy farmer cooperative milk movement and the private entrepreneurship milk movement in the private sector. It has also helped them get an idea of the need for quality, on-time processing effective material handling and inward and outward logistics processes.
george
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