2nd Day of Industry Interface Fair on Agro-processing & Food Processing (IIFA-2024)
On the second day of the Industry Interface Fair on Agro-processing & Food Processing (IIFA-2024), organized by ICAR-CIPHET from October 3 to 5, two significant industry interface meetings and a workshop were conducted.
City Air News
Oct 4, 2024 06:38
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Ludhiana, October 4, 2024: On the second day of the Industry Interface Fair on Agro-processing & Food Processing (IIFA-2024), organized by ICAR-CIPHET from October 3 to 5, two significant industry interface meetings and a workshop were conducted.
The first session focused on "FCI-Rice Milling Industry-Research Institution Synergy for Innovations in Rice Milling," chaired by Mrityunjay Kumar, AGM, QC, FCI, Bhatinda, and co-chaired by M.L. Meena, AGM, FCI, Ludhiana, along with Ashwani Bansal from the Rice Millers Association. The session featured discussions on practical challenges faced by the rice milling industry and highlighted areas for further research, including the quick evaluation of paddy quality parameters and non-destructive methods for assessing rice age. Opportunities for by-product utilization in the rice industry were also explored.
The second session, centered on "ICAR Technologies for Textile Industry - Cotton & Other Natural Fibers," was chaired by Sunil Kumar Khamb, Director of Raw Material at Vardhaman Group, and co-chaired by Amit Jain, AVP of Projects, Logistics & CSR, Vardhaman Group. The discussion emphasized advancements in cotton,jute, hemp and other natural fibre processing and the need for vocational training in the textile sector. Industry leaders encouraged greater collaboration between research institutions and the textile industry to enhance productivity and innovation.
A workshop on strengthening post-harvest management, focusing on Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as catalysts for agri-sustainability, was also held. Sh. Bal Mukund Sharma, Chairman, Punjab State Food Commission, stressed the potential of promoting local Punjabi foods in international markets. He further emphasized importance of new age technologies in optimizing agricultural aggregation, processing, storage, and marketing for farmers, entrepreneurs, and FPO members.
The event saw the participation of distinguished figures such as Dr. K. Narasiah, ADG (PE), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. Nawab Ali, former DDG (Agricultural Engineering), and Dr. R.C. Maheshwari, Former Vice-Chancellor of SDAU, Gujarat. Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director of ICAR-CIPHET, assured ongoing collaboration between Punjab-based industry and ICAR institutes to drive innovation and sustainability in agro-processing.
