Ludhiana: Agro-processing fair kicks off in city, to end on october 5

The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology on Thursday inaugurated CIPHET-IIFA 2024 industry interface fair on agro-processing and a kisan mela as part of its 36th foundation day celebrations.

Ludhiana The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) on Thursday inaugurated CIPHET-IIFA 2024 industry interface fair on agro-processing and a kisan mela as part of its 36th foundation day celebrations. The event was attended by Sukhpal Singh, chairman of Punjab State Farmers’ Commission and SN Jha, deputy director general (agricultural engineering), ICAR.

Over 100 stalls showcased various post-harvest technologies. (HT File)

During the event, Singh emphasised Punjab’s initiatives to promote region-specific agricultural products globally whereas Jha introduced the idea of “village economic zones” to integrate agricultural production, processing and marketing.

Nawab Ali, former deputy director general, highlighted the potential of post-harvest technologies to increase farmers’ incomes.

The fair will conclude on October 5.

The fair features kisan mela, industry interface meet, and a techno-food hackathon for student start-ups. Over 100 stalls showcased various post-harvest technologies including value-added products like gluten-free snacks and millet-based items.

Three Memorandum of Agreement (MoAs) were signed with entrepreneurs and five publications were released.

Nachiket Kotwaliwale, director of ICAR-CIPHET, called the event a significant step towards empowering the farming community and fostering innovation in agro-processing