IIHR Bengaluru organizes a one day Industry Meet

Bengaluru: Indian Institute of Horticultural Research(IIHR), Bengaluru in association  with Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal organized an Institute – Industry Interface Meet on Mechanization, Processing and Value Addition in Horticultural Crops with a theme of ‘Start Up to Stand Up to Prosperity‘ on Monday at its premises at Hesaraghatta.

The main objectives of the meet were to create a common platform for farmers, FPOs, entrepreneurs, Food Processing industry and Agricultural machinery manufacturers and link them with academic Institutions, like IIHR so that there is an effective backward linkage with the farmer and forward linkage with the consumers and also to understand the needs of the industry in primary processing, value addition and secondary processing which can be suitably addressed by the ICAR Institutes, ultimately leading to reduction in Post Harvest losses and increase in processing levels.

Right Livelihood Award winner and Padmashri Dr.Hanumappa Sudarshan, the well known Social Worker & Tribal Rights Activist was the chief guest and Dr.Wasakha Singh Dhillon, Assistant Director General (Horticultural Sciences), ICAR, New Delhi was the guest of honour. The meet was attended by more than 150 people including researchers and academicians from ICAR-IIHR, ICAR-CIAE, UAS, Bengaluru, UHS, Bagalkot and ANGRAU (AP), entrepreneurs, senior executives from the supply chain management companies.

Dr.Sudarshan highlighted the need of strengthening processing sector with technological interventions and the need of effective extension services. He appreciated the efforts of extension scientists of the institute in BR Hills of Karnataka. Dr. Sudarshan also pointed out to the fact that the indigenous traditional knowledge needs to be upgraded and properly packaged and disseminated.

Dr.Dhillon apprised the participants about the postharvest losses in perishables like fruits and vegetables and importance of effective postharvest management system to check these losses.

Dr. MR Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IIHR stressed on the need of taking the identified technologies of the Institute to the Industry so that they can spread far and wide and the consumers are able to get the wholesome and nutritious products. Dr. Dinesh also emphasized on the need of a strong Industry- Institute linkage so that the products developed using IIHR technologies can form a part of the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS in the country.

During the event, four MoUs were signed by ICAR-IIHR, i.e., Bloom Irrigation Systems Pvt Ltd, Vijayawada, AP,   Orbela Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, Sangli, Maharashtra,  Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, BR Hills, Karnataka and Team Flame Engineering, Bengaluru. Big Basket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt Ltd) also agreed to sign a MoU with ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru in principle during the event. The event ended with vote of thanks by Dr. Senthilkumaran, Principal Scientist, division of PHT &AE and Organizing Secretary for the meet.