ITANAGAR, Aug 20 - The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) of Durgapur, West Bengal has set up a �Centre for Post-Harvest Processing and Research� in Arunachal Pradesh to help augment the rural economy in the north-eastern state.
�The Centre for Post-Harvest Processing will immensely benefit our rural tribal people as it will provide technical know-how to them through training,� stated Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Tage Taki while launching the centre at the Naharlagun campus of CSIR- North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) branch on Tuesday.
�Arunachal produces good quality of ginger, turmeric, chilly and other spices but due to lack of preservation and post-harvest processing technology, farmers are forced to sell their produce at a low price.
The Centre will now immensely benefit our farmers as it will provide them technical know-how on how to preserve their agro produces using post-harvesting technology,� Taki told the reporters.
To a question, the Agriculture Minister said that his department is contemplating to go for post-harvest processing of winter vegetables so that it could be preserved for long.
�We are working in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s vision to double the farmers� income by the year 2022. To attain that goal, we must explore for quality marketable produce instead of quantity for which post-harvest technology is very much important,� he said.
CSIR-CMERI Director Dr Haris Hirani said, �To enhance income of the farmers, CSIR-CMERI has developed post-harvest technologies to provide proper technological solutions for washing, slicing, drying of spices like ginger and turmeric for commercial purpose.
This centre will provide training to improve the knowledge and skill of farmers and entrepreneurs of Arunachal Pradesh through post-harvest handling, processing, water purification and renewable energy technologies,� he said.
The centre would help the farmers of the state to get proper market price for their produces and enhance their economic conditions.
The director also said that similar centre was opened at Pasighat in East Siang district and another centre along with waste management technology is being set up at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district.
