On 12th January 12, 2024 students of SWAYAM (life-school) along with teachers Ms Sheetal Savant and Mrs Seema Jagtap planned a field visit to the Katraj Dairy, Pune.
KATRAJ DAIRY:
Katraj Dairy was incorporated in 1960 with an intention of providing an organized facility of milk collection for the village-level farmers situated in Pune district. Katraj Dairy started with milk collection of about 0.30 lakh (30.000) liters per day in the first year of operation and today has steadily grown to over 2.00 lakh (0.20 million) litres per day and has a financial turnover of over Rs.250 crores.
A short film were shown about the starting of the dairy, the turnover success they have achieved today , about the other facilities provided by them for eg. free animal medicines to the farmers , sessions in the villages where they educate farmers about the importance of proper food given to cattles etc.
Guide was provide for the entire tour. Started with STEAM GENERATORS which helps in boiling water, creating steam, pasteurization.
Then the group were taken to the REFRIGERATION UNIT where processes like cooling and pasteurization takes place. Group were shown the ammonia gas containers which help in cooling of milk.
WITH A HUGE TURNOVER OF ABOUT 250 CRORES , KATRAJ DAIRY NEVER COMPROMISES WITH THE HYGEINE AND CLEANLINESS OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
CRATE WASHING CENTRE:
There are 3 processes through which the workers ensure the cleanliness of the crates in which the milk is further transported. The crates are washed 3 times , once with cold water , then hot water + detergent and then with hot water again.
KATRAJ DAIRY PROVIDES ITS CUSTOMER WITH FOUR TYPES OF MILK WHICH INCLUDES :
- Toned milk ( most demanded )
- Double toned milk
- Standardized milk
- Full cream milk
Every kind of milk has the same amount of fat.
Further the group were taken to the different units where various milk products like ice cream, flavored milk, ghee, shrikhand etc is made.
Lastly they were told about how the business suffered during the covid 19 pandemic in the sectors of milk products but how there was more demand for milk at the same time through online options available.
FEEDBACKS of few students :
– Katraj dairy is one of the oldest spots in Pune which has a major role in production of dairy products . Milk is produced here on a large scale . All work is done here eco friendly . It was a great experience to get to know about the procedure involved in making dairy products and to meet the people working there , to get to know about their experiences . All the workers there were helpful and told us about how the machines work . Overall a great trip.
– The field visit was a wonderful experience for everyone . Exploring the working of a dairy factory in detail was very enlightening in terms of a business and production perspective . We went through each step of milk processing . The whole system and how they managed it really intrigued me . It was also an eye opener on how hard it is to run such a big business . All in all a splendid trip was executed to perfection.
– Had an insightful field visit to Katraj Dairy products manufacturing plant . The tour of the production facilities was informative , providing a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing processes . The staff was accommodating, answering all the questions with clarity . Witnessing the operational efficiency was commendable . Overall , a valuable experience that enhanced the knowledge of dairy production.
– We are grateful for the teachers who have planned this visit. It was a learning experience for us. The staff of Katraj Dairy was very cooperative and explained every process very nicely.
