Career options in dairy and food technology

With agribusiness becoming important, the sector offers many opportunities for higher education, skill development, career options, and research.

With India being the largest milk-producing country in the world, production, processing and marketing of milk and milk products has led to the opening up of career options. This is also true of the food technology sector, with the ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food business taking off.

Dairy industry

India has more than 50 dairy sciences colleges offering the four-year B. Tech in Dairy Technology. As part of the curriculum, students get hands-on training at the plants associated with the institutions. The College of Dairy Science and Technology, Anand in Gujarat, is one of the pioneering institutions in this sector. Admission to B. Tech Dairy Science programme is done through the engineering entrance exam in the respective states with 15% of the All-India quota seats being filled by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research through counselling from the CUET-UG rank lists. Apart from this, some colleges offer a 2-3 year diploma programme and there are M.Tech. and doctoral programmes as well.

Graduates can work as dairy extension officer, dairy technologist, quality control officer and jobs are available in banks and insurance companies as well. For those looking to move abroad, there is plenty of scope in countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, The Netherlands and so on.

Skill development courses in dairying, quality control, marketing and so on are available for those who have passed Classes 10 and 12 but do not want to do a B.Tech. They can work as dairy technicians in plants.

Food Technology

This domain also has a variety of programmes. One of the most sought after is the four-year B.Tech. Food Technology, offered by National Institute of Food Technology and Entrepreneurship (NIFTEM) in Kundli, Haryana, and the Indian Institute of Food Technology in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Admission to these two national-level institutions is through the Joint Engineering Entrance Exam (JEE) Main scores and counselling through the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JOSAA). Apart from this, there are over 159 private and 127 public institutions offering food technology courses with admission being based on each state’s engineering entrance exams.

After graduation, students can work both in the government and private sector as food technologist, food safety officer, food scientist and so on.

Research options

Students of both dairy technology and food technology can also consider research and academia. However, the National Eligibility Test (NET) is mandatory for those who wish to consider this option. For those who wish to pursue higher studies abroad, a Master’s in Food Technology, Dairy Science, Food Science or Dairy Technology or integrated doctoral programmes are available. New Zealand and Australia research through academia industry interfaces.

With the Ministry of Food Processing implementing projects in these sectors such as cold chain from procurement to marketing of milk and allied products, mega and mini food parts, there is plenty of scope for entrepreneurship as well.

The writer is former Director (Entrepreneurship), Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and is currently a professor at the Transdisciplinary University of Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru. tpsethu2000@gmail.com

Published - October 13, 2024 08:30 pm IST