43rd batch of International School of Milling Technology (ISMT) passes out

Mysuru: Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy inaugurated the ‘Millets Excellence and Incubation Centre’ at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) in the city last evening.

Constructed at a cost of Rs. 20 crore with State Government support, the centre is designed to benefit farmers and consumers while strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in millet production.

Following the inauguration, the Minister toured the facility’s three units, inspecting machinery and millet-based products. Commending CFTRI’s efforts, he highlighted the institute’s contribution to producing high-quality millet products that align with the growing public interest in healthy food alternatives.

He also stressed the role of technology in agriculture, citing how tools like sugarcane harvesters can significantly reduce labour costs and wastage, saving up to 25 tonnes of produce. The Minister further emphasised the importance of empowering farmers through loans, facilities, and efficient implementation of Government schemes.

ISMT graduation and achievements

During the same event, candidates of the 43rd batch of the International School of Milling Technology (ISMT) were felicitated for completing their training in flour milling technology.

Established in 1981 as an Indo-Swiss collaboration and a project with the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, ISMT has trained 885 participants to date, including 120 from developing countries.

Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director of CFTRI, highlighted the course’s continual updates to meet the evolving demands of the milling industry, particularly in tropical developing nations.

“The training equips technical personnel with the expertise to manage modern roller flour mills effectively. The curriculum includes in-plant training, practical sessions in the ISMT Mill (20 tonnes per day capacity), and guest lectures by industry experts,” she noted.

State-of-the-art machinery

The programme also incorporates state-of-the-art machinery for cleaning and milling, flour fortification and automated handling and packing systems. Graduates have significantly improved the operations of roller flour mills globally, based on feedback from the industry.

In the 43rd batch, Chinedu Chukwualuka Epuechi bagged the gold medal, S.R. Varshitha secured the silver and Nandyala Surya Teja bagged the bronze medal. Additionally, Varshitha received a gold medal for excellence in Cereal Science, while Avnish Kumar Singh was awarded a gold medal for scoring the highest in Baking Science.

K. Phaneendra, Operations Manager of Manikchand Group, was the chief guest. Ashutosh A. Inamdar, Senior Principal Scientist at CFTRI, provided an overview of the ISMT course.

A booklet on millet information was unveiled during the event. Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda, former Speaker V.R. Sudarshan, CESC Chairman and MLA Rameshbabu Bandisiddegowda, and Agriculture Commissioner Patil were present.