Agri-engineering units crucial to boost mechanisation: ICAR DDG

With an aims to foster collaboration between the agricultural processing and farming communities, the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) inaugurated CIPHET-IIFA 2023 and Kisan Mela in Ludhiana

Establishment of a directorate of agricultural engineering in each state is crucial for accelerating agricultural mechanisation, enhancing food security and increasing farmers’ income, said SN Jha, deputy director general (agricultural engineering) ICAR, during the inauguration of CIPHET-IIFA 2023, an industry interface fair on agro-processing, and Kisan Mela in Ludhiana on Tuesday.

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With an aims to foster collaboration between the agricultural processing and farming communities, the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) inaugurated CIPHET-IIFA 2023, as part of its 35th Foundation Day celebration.

The event witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Jha, as the chief guest, and Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor (V-C) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) as the guest of honour.

Jha said, “The central government has been providing financial assistance for stubble management machinery for some time now. Despite this, stubble burning continues to be a problem in Punjab. One reason for this is the lack of knowledge among farmers regarding the proper use of these machines. In light of this, the Punjab government is recommended to appoint agricultural engineers at the block level in every district as soon as possible. These engineers can then educate groups of farmers from several villages on how to use stubble management machinery effectively. When farmers are aware of the correct usage, it will reduce their agricultural costs and help improve stubble management practices.”

Jha also stressed the need for the Punjab government to establish a directorate of agricultural engineering, stating, “In the last Kisan Mela at PAU, the agriculture minister spoke about setting up the directorate of agricultural engineering. However, there has been no progress in this regard so far. In August, union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote a letter to chief minister Bhagwant Mann, urging the creation of the directorate of agricultural engineering and the appointment of agricultural engineering officers at the district and block levels in Punjab.”

“The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture, animal husbandry, and food processing has also recommended the establishment of a directorate of agricultural engineering in each state. This is crucial for accelerating agricultural mechanisation, enhancing food security, and increasing farmers’ income,” Dr. Jha added.

The event, which will conclude on Thursday, several premier institutions collaborated with farmers and entrepreneurs to showcase over 80 stalls featuring post-harvest and value-addition technologies. Various value-added products, including gluten-free bakery items, extruded snacks, and innovative millet-based products, were also put on display. Notable achievements include the licensing of the “Buckwheat dehuller” technology to a Ludhiana-based firm and MoUs for incubating technologies related to “Makhana-based pasta production” and “Kodo millet processing.” An additional MoU was signed for testing a “multi-juice machine.”