ICAR CIPHET and DoCA, GoI collaborate to develop storage protocols for major pulses

Ludhiana, June 23, 2023: ICAR-Central Institute of Post harvest Engineering & technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana signed an MoU with Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Govt of India for an ambitious project related to storage of whole pulses. The MoU was signed today at Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-2, New Delhi by Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director, ICAR-CIPHET and Dr. K. Guite, Economic Advisor, DoCA in the presence of Dr. S. N. Jha, DDG (Agricultural Engineering), ICAR, New Delhi. 

The study will be undertaken through 10 collaborative centers covering warehouses situated in different states and cover the five major pulses namely green gram (moong), black gram (urd), chickpea (chana), pigeon pea (arhar), and lentil (masoor).

The project will operate for 3 years with a budget of Rs. 8.58 Crore. Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale briefed that government maintains stocks the pulses through procurement and imports to ensure the price stability and availability of pulses throughout the country. Prolonged storage conditions may lead to loss of quantity and quality of the stored pulses and a robust correlation need to be established between these parameters and storage conditions of the pulses. 

Dr Guite emphasised on economic loss to the country due to lack of proper information on storage protocol for pulses. He remarked that the earlier study by CIPHET on milling out-turn and procurement norms of pulses has helped the department tremendously in procurement of raw and milled pulses. He opined that current study will also be a milestone as far as storage of pulses is concerned. 

Dr S N Jha appreciated the lead taken by CIPHET in formulating the ambitious project being conducted through different centers throughout the country and commended DoCA for encouraging development of protocols with sound scientific support. He further encouraged the scientists involved in the study to go beyond the specified objectives and also conduct some experiments for academic knowledge generation. 

The meeting was attended by project team comprising of principal investigators from 10 designated centers and led by Dr. RK Vishwakarma, ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana, Dr. Mahesh Kothari, Director Planning and Monitoring, MPUAT, Udaipur, officials of Agricultural Engineering Division of ICAR and Department of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India.