Entry Level Qualification 

8

Career Fields 

Agriculture & Food Science

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

No Entrance Exam

About Career 

1. As a Dairy Farmer, you will work in dairy farms that breed and raise cows and buffaloes for the production of milk and associated milk products. You will be responsible for various ground-level activities involved in managing a dairy farm including proper care of animals (health and productivity), milking and distribution of produced milk, etc.

2. You need to ensure the production of high-quality milk and animal comfort and well-being. Your work will mainly involve rearing and feeding the animals, ensuring that their rearing areas are clean and sanitized, and making sure that all the animals are in proper health conditions. You have to pay maximum attention to the animals during their breeding period. 

3. Dairy Farmers work on farms and milking sheds in all kinds of weather conditions. They usually have to work in dusty, dirty, and wet environments. Also, the working hours are long and generally begin early (before dawn) every day.

4. As a Dairy Farmer, you will have to look after the needs of every animal at your farm, clean the facility/equipment, and monitor the animals’ behavior and health issues. You will have to dispose of animal wastes in the prescribed manner following established rules. You will have to report any hazard or signs of ill health as soon as you notice them. You will also have to monitor and maintain the condition of tools and farm equipment.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

As a Dairy Farmer, you will be engaged with one or more of the following roles and responsibilities: -

1. You will be ensuring proper breeding of the animals and taking care during the reproduction period.

2. You will be feeding the animals properly and ensuring they have an adequate supply of food and water.

3. You will be herding animals to pasture for grazing (in some large-scale animal farms).

4. You will be checking, monitoring, and reporting physical characteristics such as growth and weight gain.

5. You will be cleaning the rearing or living quarters of the animals.

6. You will be examining the animals daily or at regular intervals to detect illness, injury, or diseases and take timely action to maintain their health and well-being.

7. You will be ensuring proper medical treatment which includes giving medicines vaccinations and checkups by veterinarians.

8. You will be ensuring proper maintenance and repair of all farm equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, stalls, yards, etc.

9. You will be preparing livestock for transfer to other facilities by grading, marking, tagging, etc.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 5 in school - NSQF Level 2 Certificate for ‘Dairy Worker’.

After completing Class 5 in school, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 2 Training and Certificate program for ‘Dairy Worker’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 210.

After completing Class 8 in school, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 2 Training and Certificate program for ‘Dairy Worker’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 210. Then you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 4 Training and Certificate program for ‘Dairy Farmer / Entrepreneur’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 210. Level 2 course can be done after passing Class 5 but Level 4 course requires you to complete at least Class 8.

After completing Class 10, you can go for training at any Industrial Training Institute (ITI), National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Regional Vocational Training Institute (RVTI), National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Industrial Training Center (ITC), Vast Vocational Training Institute (VVTI) or other vocational institutes for the role of ‘Dairying’ or similar. You will sit for the All India Trade Test (AITT) to get a National Trade Certificate (NTC) after this course. This exam is held twice a year in February and July.

After completing Class 10, you can go for the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) course for ‘Dairying’ or related courses under National Skills Qualification Framework Level 4. This is a 1-year course with 2 semesters of 6 months each.

After completing Class 10, you can go for a Diploma / Certificate course in Animal Husbandry and Dairying or similar disciplines offered by the NDRI or other institutions. The course at NDRI is a full-time diploma course of three years.​​​​​​​

Required Qualification & Competencies 

You may not need any formal education or training to work as a farmhand in the dairying business. However, it is better to complete Class 5 in school before trying to get a job. Ideally, you should do a training course for Dairying or obtain training certificates as described.

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Competencies Required

1. You should have an interest in Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

2. You should have an interest in Conventional Occupations. Conventional occupations involve repetitive and routine tasks as well as fixed processes or procedures for getting things done. These occupations involve working more with data, systems, and procedures and less with ideas or creativity.

3. You should have good hand-eye coordination.

4. You should have knowledge of Mathematics – basic arithmetic and other mathematical disciplines and their applications.

5. Factual knowledge of dairy animals and related matters such as animal healthcare, their safety, market prices of dairy produce; different dairy animal breeds and their specialties; operation of dairy farm machinery; life requirements of various animals, and the use of various vaccines; experience in handling a herd.

6. You should have Coordination Skills - working together with other people to get things done.

7. You should have skills in Managing Material Resources - sourcing, buying, storing, and use of appropriate raw materials, machines, equipment, and devices for various purposes.

8. You should have Manual Dexterity – The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

9. You should have Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

10. You should have Physical Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods without getting winded or out of breath.

11. You should have Oral Comprehension Ability - listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

12. You should have Oral Expression Ability - communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

13. You should have Skills for Communication in Vernacular Languages - Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a local or indigenous language such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, etc.​​​​​​​

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

You will find work at different individually owned dairy farms or farms contracted by various corporate organizations as well as in dairy co-operatives functioning in rural areas, which are involved in breeding, raising, sales and export of dairy produce.

Career Growth

You can grow within the dairy business through roles such as Senior Worker, Farm Supervisor, Farm Head etc.

Salary Offered  

1. In entry-level jobs, you can expect a monthly salary package of around Rs. 3,000 - 12,000 or more a month.

2. As you gain about 5-7 years of experience, your average monthly salary will be somewhere around Rs. 7,000 - 18,000 or more a month.

3. In about 10-12 years, your salary package will range anywhere between Rs. 10,000 - 25,000 or more a month.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid-Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also shortly, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available

Work Activities 

1. Handling and moving objects and materials - Using hands or otherwise use physical strength to handle and move objects and materials; manoever, install, lift, place, manipulate, etc.

2. Performing physical activities - Performing physical activities that require use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

3. Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials - Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials to ascertain quality, performance, defects, causes of errors, etc.

4. Identifying objects, actions, and events - Identifying various characteristics of objects; observing and understanding actions and events; understanding changes in actions and events.

5. Operating machines, equipment, devices, systems and processes - Using various methods and techniques to operate machines, equipment, devices, systems and processes in industrial and other settings.

6. Assessing and evaluating quality - Assessing and evaluating quality of materials, systems, processes, products, services, etc.

7. Operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or other movable devices - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment.

8. Communicating with co-workers and others - Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc. or with people at large.