R Ratha Krishnan, 43, decided to retire early from the veterinary services department (DVS) to found Betalac Dairy House, a processing company based in Jelapang, Ipoh.
In five years, the company has gone from selling fresh milk to producing a range of products, including yoghurt, flavoured milks, butter, ghee, lassi drinks, and paneer (cottage cheese).
“I saw great potential in the production of local milk-based products. My family has long been involved in the industry on a small scale, so I took the step to expand and breathe new life into the business,” he told Bernama.
“We’re also part of the DVS mentorship programme for entrepreneurs. As we don’t have our own cattle farm, we source milk from DVS-registered farmers.
“We use about 1,500 litres of fresh milk per week for our products, up to 4,000 litres a month,”Ratha Krishnan added. He, however, kept mum on Betalac Dairy House’s sales figures or revenue.
In addition, the company has developed a machine specifically for making paneer in a more hygienic and efficient manner. Known as the Paneer Compactio, it compresses and moulds blocks of cottage cheese that are neat, firm, and of uniform size.
“Usually, hydraulic machines are used for compression, but they are costly as they’re automated. So we designed this manual machine that costs only around RM1,800.
“We used to rely on traditional methods like placing stones and weights, which were less satisfactory from a hygiene standpoint, especially now that our paneer products are food-safety and halal certified.”
The stainless-steel Paneer Compactio, which weighs 32kg, can be operated by just one person and is capable of producing over 30kg of paneer a day.
According to Ratha Krishnan, the machine is manufactured in Perak based on the company’s own design and specifications, taking into account the real needs of small and medium players in the dairy and food industries.
The company’s innovation has already paid off, with the Paneer Compactio coming in third place for the Industrial Innovation (Product) Award at DVS Innovation Day held on July 24 in Putrajaya.
Asked about future plans, he said the company is expanding its range of cottage-cheese products, which will officially be launched at Agrofest Perak next month.
“For now, our paneer is available in Perak and Little India in Penang,” he said, adding that they are also planning to open their own outlet soon.
The company further aims to turn their paneer into nuggets that are suitable for vegetarians.
“We’ve already started our own R&D, and are working closely with DVS and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute to ensure our vegetarian consumers can enjoy it with confidence,” Ratha Krishnan concluded.