The Hindu Business Line : Food processing incubator at TNAU

Established under a scheme funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the pilot plant has, since its installation about 10 months ago, helped develop innovative processing techniques such as ready-to-eat mixes, fruit juices, masala powder and pickles, besides enhancing the shelf life of perishables such as tomatoes, limes and onions. A good number of the techniques have been commercialised, the Head of the Centre, Dr K. Thangavel, told Business Line.

Stating that it was only a model plant with a capacity to process half-a-tonne of vegetables or fruits on a daily basis, he said the capacity utilisation was 100 per cent at present.

"Producers and entrepreneurs have been utilising the facility on a cost-sharing basis. The Centre imparts training to prospective entrepreneurs periodically. About 200 people have been trained," Dr Thangavel said. The varsity has extended financial support, to the tune of Rs 3 lakh, for commercialising the incubator facility. The Centre has established a bakery unit (within the campus) with a seed capital of Rs 3 lakhs extended by the university. "About 35 different bakery products have been rolled out. Our supplies are limited to the students' hostel and TNAU guests at present. We intend to put up a sales counter for marketing the bakery products eventually," he said.

Dr Thangavel attributes these developments to the varsity's tie-up with CIDA for a research project on `Consolidation of Food Security in India.' Besides TNAU, the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore and at Dharwad are party to the Rs 10-crore collaborative research project.

"The programme is aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, which are estimated at over Rs 5 crore annually. We are processing only 5 per cent of the farm produce.

"Nearly 30 per cent is lost every year because of inadequate processing techniques and facilities. The incubator model can be replicated in each taluk or at the district level, depending on the availability of the raw material. For instance, we can set up a food processing incubator to process tomato at Coimbatore, mango at Theni and pineapple at Namakkal," he suggested.

Dr Thangavel emphasised the need to establish a food testing and quality control testing laboratory at TNAU. "There are over 3,000 food processing units in the unorganised sector, but not a single food testing or quality check lab. This is the need of the hour. We are planning to float a testing lab and have sought funds from TNAU," he said.

Sources said the farm varsity was in the process of preparing a `vision document' to be given to the State Government.

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