Turmeric Man of Himachal Pradesh

The Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has been recognized for its significant contribution to agro-processing and food technology at the prestigious Agro-Processing and Food Processing Fair (CIPHET IIFA-2024) held in Ludhiana. The university’s All India Coordinated Research Project on Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (AICRP-PHET) secured the third position in the Outstanding Exhibitor Award category, competing against top research institutions and industries across India.

This achievement highlights Nauni University’s ongoing efforts in promoting post-harvest engineering and adding value to agricultural products.

Innovative Contributions to Food Processing

The university's team showcased a range of innovative products, including value-added offerings from fruits and vegetables, millet-based products, and functional foods. Among these, their carbonated apple beverages stood out, gaining attention from industry experts for their potential to revolutionize the fruit processing industry, especially for apple growers in Himachal Pradesh. These beverages, along with other fruit-based offerings, were praised for their ability to add value to surplus fruits and reduce post-harvest losses.

Participation at CIPHET IIFA-2024

The event saw participation from over 25 renowned research and development institutes, universities, and food processing industries, showcasing advanced products and technologies aimed at addressing post-harvest loss, agro-processing, and food safety challenges. 

Benefits/Significance

• Boost to Farmers: Helps farmers by reducing post-harvest losses and adding value to surplus crops like apples.
• Innovation in Agro-Processing: The university's innovations introduce new products like functional foods, helping farmers diversify income, reduce wastage, and enhance profitability through local processing.
• Sustainable Farming: Supports rural livelihoods by promoting research-driven agro-processing techniques.
• Economic Growth: Supports local agro-industries, contributing to economic growth and food security.
• Climate Resilience: By processing and preserving crops, farmers can reduce the risks associated with climate change impacts, such as crop failure or post-harvest losses due to erratic weather patterns.
• Rural Entrepreneurship: The availability of innovative agro-processing technologies encourages rural entrepreneurship, empowering local communities to start small-scale processing businesses.

Relevance to Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana

The innovations and efforts by Nauni University align with the goals of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters), a government initiative aimed at promoting agro-processing and reducing food wastage. By adding value to agricultural produce and developing innovative products like functional foods, Nauni University's work contributes to the scheme's objectives of modernizing the food processing sector, ensuring better returns for farmers, and creating job opportunities in rural areas. This also supports the national agenda of reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring the availability of high-quality processed food products.