Liaison with industry must for value addition: PAU Expert

The directorate of extension education, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), organised a webinar on ‘Industry liaison and enhancing outreach for farm profitability’ on Friday

The directorate of extension education, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), organised a webinar on ‘Industry liaison and enhancing outreach for farm profitability’ on Friday.

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Vishal Bector, professor and associate director, industrial linkages, PAU, was the resource person. More than 300 faculty members and students from PAU and its Krishi Vigyan Kendras and farm advisory service centres participated.

Jaskarn Singh Mahal, director of extension education, spoke about smart marketing and liaisoning of farmers with industrial houses as an important step to boost farmers’ income as well as sustainable diversification. Bector emphasised the need for value addition in the processing industry through farm-gate processing.

He illustrated how the current industrial needs focus on the raw material that is partially processed at the farm level, leaving the secondary processing operations to the industrial houses. “Since it is not viable for industries to invest time, money, and resources for primary processing operations, the rural youth and farmers can engage in these activities. This would be a win-win situation,” he added.

Bector explained how the capacity building of all stakeholders would promote marketing intelligence resulting in growth opportunities through the business for rural youth who then do not need to migrate to cities for business or employment opportunities.

The university, along with various farmer–producer organizations (FPOs) and other stakeholders, can make a successful agri-business model for farmers, he added.

Kuldeep Singh, associate director, skill development, reiterated the need for industry liaison and enhancing outreach for farm profitability through value addition for retaining youth in agriculture.