A five-day training course on setting up of agricultural enterprises at small-scale level began at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Monday.
Farmers and farm women are participating in the course, jointly organised by the directorate of extension education (DEE) and the department of processing and food engineering of PAU.
Dr RS Sidhu, DEE director, the subject specialists will be highlighting the significance of farm-related ventures in Punjab during the event.
Focus will also be on post-harvest management of fruits and vegetables, drying of vegetables, cleaning and grading of fruits and vegetables, preparation of potato chips, mushroom cultivation and processing besides poultry and dairy feed technology, Sidhu said.
Besides, experts will also be demonstrating the processing of paddy, wheat, oilseeds, turmeric, chillies, onion, honey, jaggery (gur) and milk using various farm machines.
Dr Sidhu said trainees will also be told about agri-business, quality control, AGMARK, and loans by nationalised banks.
Dr TS Riar and Dr Rupinder Kaur are the course coordinators of the course, while Dr Amarjit Singh and Dr Tarsem Chand are its technical coordinators.
Meanwhile, another training course on machinery and safety for different farming operations will be conducted for horticulture and agriculture development officers from May 19 to 21.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, another training course on machinery and safety for different farming operations will be conducted for horticulture and agriculture development officers from May 19 to 21.
{{/usCountry}}The course will be supervised jointly by DEE and department of farm machinery and power engineering, PAU. The trainees will be educated about farm machinery systems, precision agriculture, vegetable and maize mechanisation, besides hand tools for small farmers.
In addition, a hands-on-training in the operation of machines like happy seeder, chopper, baler, rotavator, rotary weeder, thresher, combine harvester and laser land leveller will also given to the participants.
Dr Sidhu further said the experts will also dwell on seed extracting machines, farm safety, besides processing, grading and packaging of fruits.