KAMALPUR, July 25 (TIWN): Different sweet and salted cookies, snacks, cakes; attractive smell around the house or factory and the taste of hot cookies with a sip of hot tea- all resembled to the age old tradition of bakery industry. Merely fifteen to twenty years ago cookies and biscuits referred to those made in the bakers hut. Bakery products were the only means of tea time snacks.

Almost every area had a baker with some trademark productions that lulled the children, youths as well as the aged persons to have a bite. Coconuts, mustards, wheat, flour and permitted and synthetic colors and fragrances were used to lull the buyers. Whether it was a celebration of birthday or marriage anniversary, bakers’ cakes were the only option. And the bakers spent a good deal of time and creativity to give their each cake a different look and taste. Many youths were also engaged in this profession and earn their livelihood from this industry. The industry turned into a flourishing and lucrative profession.

But the scenario started to decline almost from the nineties when the ‘open market policy’ jerked the Indian economy to a sudden advancement. Besides, the advent of new technologies and popularity of processed and packaged foods also witnessed a great advancement due to great enlargement advertisement and publicity. International giant MNCs like Britannia, Parle, Bisk farm, ITC etc started to occupy markets throughout the country rapidly. The indigenous bakery industry here found it really impossible in the context of countrywide publicity, lucrative packaging and use of technology. Gradually, the bakery industry suffered a massive set back as they lost their markets and people inclined towards those biscuits and snacks. Moreover, the governments both in Central and State level failed to usher any new opportunity for them to cope with the situation. All those made the industry ceased to exist.

In last three to five years, the industry however started to regain its market a bit. Some bakers of the locality expressed that, use of modernized equipments, new synthetic flavor and color, invention of new products and attractive packaging improved their market to a great extent. But as the governments seemed not keen enough about them and many capitalists ventured in this sector, so the small and medium bakeries in the State mainly those of rural individual ownerships still had to fight an unequal battle with big boons and had to be contented with local markets only. Moreover, they severely lacked the markets and publicity of their products. Now if the government be affectionate enough to this industry or not is the matter to be seen.