ICAR-CIPHET Ludhiana organises virtual business meet on post–harvest and value addition technologies for various stakeholders

Ludhiana: The ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology, Ludhiana (Punjab) organized a “Virtual Business Meet on Post-Harvest and Value Addition Technologies” developed by the Institute on 10.12.2020. The meeting was aimed at showcasing some recently developed technologies to the prospective stakeholders, viz., food processors, entrepreneurs, impending Start-Ups, machinery manufacturers, farmers and rural youths. A total of 450+ national as well as international stakeholders attended the virtual meeting, which was advertised through various social media platforms.
In inaugural address, Dr. K. Alagusundaram, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Engineering), ICAR highlighted the need of post-harvest technologies in general and product processing in particular to help the manufacturers, farmers as well as the consumers. He delineated about some of the government policies for supporting the establishment of food processing industries at small to medium levels. He also lauded the efforts of ICAR-CIPHET to reach out to its stakeholders and effectively using electronic platform for doing so. Dr. S.N. Jha, ADG (PE), ICAR also assured full support from ICAR headquarter and suggested make this a regular activity to conduct such meetings. He also recommended to conduct some thematic meeting with the selected small group of stakeholders so as to develop confidence in the technologies being transferred to the stakeholders.

Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director ICAR-CIPHET informed about the facilities available with the institute and called for active partnership with the various stakeholders through technology licensing, consultancy, contract services and business incubation, etc. He also reassured that, the Institute is dedicated to serve the need of the farmers/entrepreneurs for income and employment generation by setting agri-business enterprise during this tough time of pandemic. 

Former Director CIPHET Ludhiana, Dr. R.T. Patil, emphasized to focus on the need based technology keeping in view the Covid regime. He appreciated the efforts of ICAR-CIPHET, for generating agri-business opportunities in the region based on post-harvest processing and value addition. 

Altogether 12 business viable technologies, including machines for Makhana processing, Wadi making, live fish carrier system etc., horticultural and speciality product processing machines, their related technologies and also processes for speciality product were showcased during the meeting to encourage the firms/entrepreneurs/agri-preneurs for establishment of the agribusiness enterprise. During the business meet, Dr. Ranjeet Singh, PI Agri-Business Incubation Centre, highlighted the available facilities for incubation and urged interested stakeholder to approach ICAR-CIPHET for availing the facility. Dr. D. N. Yadav, In-charge Head, ToT Division, briefed the technology transfer process of the institute and facilitated the event. The video of entire event is available on CIPHET YouTube page.