Laud role of Institute in training farmers to become entrepreneurs

Mysuru: Uttar Pradesh (UP) Minister for Agriculture Surya Pratap Shahi  along with his Ministerial colleagues from Government of Uttar Pradesh, recently visited the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, a premier research Institute of  CSIR. 

Dinesh Pratap Singh,  Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Horticulture and Baldev Singh Aulakh, Minister of State for Agriculture, also accompanied him during the visit along with Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of UP, Anjani Kumar Singh, IAS, other officials of Department of Agriculture, both from UP and Karnataka.

CSIR-CFTRI Director Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh received the UP Minister’s delegation. An interaction meeting was held in Cheluvamba Hall of CFTRI wherein a presentation was made  about  contribution of CFTRI and its role in Agro-Food processing.  The Director  explained in detail the success stories of CFTRI such as AMUL (the baby food), Leaf cup making machine, Spice oils and oleoresins, High amylase rich energy food, Spirulina  chikki, Nutri bar etc.  She emphasised the role of Millets in health, machinery for millet processing and  innovative technologies  on  millets developed at CFTRI and also touched upon eradication of malnutrition and supplementary foods for severely acute malnourished children both in  Odisha and  Karnataka.

All the dignitaries visited the   CFTRI facilities such as CFTRI Show Case, Food Engineering Pilot Plant,  International School of Milling Technology and  Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control  Laboratory.  The Scientific staff of Food Engineering Department demonstrated the Food processing machinery housed in Pilot Plant which included Dosa-making machine  developed at CFTRI.

The delegation also visited Mobile Food Processing Unit, designed and developed at CFTRI wherein Tomato processing was  demonstrated to team members. They lauded this innovative  idea to reach out farmers at rural level and also appreciated the role of CFTRI in training farmers through PMFME and ODOP programmes to become  entrepreneurs.

The Minister also appreciated the infrastructure that would be beneficial to large number of stakeholders.

On their visit to the wheat milling facility, the scientific staff explained the importance of one-year ISMT Certificate course in roller flour milling   which has benefited both India and developing countries from Africa and South East Asia. This aspect was very much appreciated by the UP Minister and the delegation.

The  Minister and his team members  then visited  FSAQCL Department wherein they were briefed about various Labs and Instrumentation facilities pertaining to Food Safety including  detection of heavy metals and contaminants, pesticide residue analysis etc. They appreciated CFTRI’s role in this aspect.

Surya Pratap Sahi informed  that “It is a matter of great fortune for me to visit this Institution. This Institute has a significant contribution in Food Security and Food Processing. This Institute also has an important  contribution in  developing the skills of the students here and  making them self-reliant”. 

He even emphasised that an action plan will be prepared soon to set up a Processing Unit in the Agricultural Universities located in Uttar Pradesh so that  more impactful  work is done in the field of Food Processing in Uttar Pradesh.