Ludhiana March 26
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has won appreciation for replicating the model of Ohio State Food Industries Center.

Disclosing this here today, GS Chahal, Dean, College of Agriculture said, the appreciation came during a special session of International Conference on 21st Century Challenges to Sustainable Agriculture-Food Systems held at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

The session was devoted to 'Lessons Learned' from the operation of six USAID funded Indo-US collaborative projects in India.

The collaborative project entitled," The Punjab Agricultural University and Food Processing: New Linkages with Private Sector" between PAU and Ohio State University(OSU) emerged as a model for adoption by other Indian partners.

A food industry centre (FIC) at PAU has been set up on the pattern of OSU for the successful operation of which five scientists have already visited and two more will be going to OSU for specialised training to operationalise this centre.

Similarly, four teams of scientists from OSU have also visited PAU in this context.

After periodic reviews of progress and emerging problems of limited industry participation, the PAU restructured its plan to initiate interaction of scientists with selected co-operative sector industries like Markfed, Milkfed and NGOs to highlight the mutual benefits of this co-operation to both industry and farmers.

Such a need-based modification of the project along with the idea of adoption of OSU pattern of FIC was highly appreciated by US partners and USAID officials.

The corrective re-organisational steps adopted by PAU to merge the erstwhile departments of Food Science and Technology, Processing and Agricultural Structures, and Food and Nutrition to formulate a new Department of Food Science and Engineering were highly appreciated to pool the available technical manpower and resources for attracting and serving the agro-processing industry in the form of a scientist-industry-farmer triangle which is the need of present day uneconomical state of agriculture in India.

Encouraged by the success of this endeavour to attract industry, PAU has earmarked a substantial part of special grant of Rs 100 crores to further strengthen its food industries centre with a committed aim to establish same interaction of its scientists with the agro-processing industry that it has with hard-working farmers of the state. 

Doraha, March 26
Dr Joginder Singh, former Professor Punjab Agriculture University stressed on need of cutting down on foodgrain wastage at an an extension lecture on 'Agri-marketing with special reference to international marketing' organised by the Doraha Institute of Management and Technology today.

He rued the fact that 10 per cent of the total food grains production goes as waste. “If we can cut down on wastage to 10 per cent of the present, we need not produce anything for the next five years,” he said.

Dr Singh said the law of diminishing returns was operating in the agriculture sector and stressed on stopping wastage of foodgrain.

“The foodgrain production was stable in face of population growing at at rate of 1.9 per cent. The country produced and average of 200 million tonnes of foodgrains, including wheat, rice, pulses and millets from 1996,” said Dr Singh.

He said the whole definition of marketing had undergone a sea change as products could be easily marketed on the internet.

Concepts like ‘Apni Mandi’ need to be promoted to enhance market efficiently, he said.

Dr Singh stressed that the WTO needed to look into issues of minimising barriers in subsidies, tariffs and technical barriers of trade. The shift from social factors, from primary to secondary and tertiary sectors and patenting also need to be looked into.

The developed countries are not lowering subsides at the agreed levels which hindered the fruits of growing surplus crops. The share of agriculture exports in total export has declined from 19 percent to almost 7-8 per cent within 15 years. Poor infrastructure, lack of proper supply chain and small holdings were resulting in poor performance of this segment, said Dr Singh.

The corporate sector needed to step into this segment to complete the supply chain and introduction of reforms by the government was important to give a boost to agri-exports. He also emphasised the need to encourage food processing.

Ludhiana March 26
The academic session of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women concluded on an auspicious note here today. Bhog of Shri Akhand Path was solemnised and students of the college shabad team recited hymns of Gurbani.

Members of the college managing committee and various dignitaries had attended the function. While blessing the students, president Swaran Singh had stressed upon the need for inculcating moral, ethical and spiritual values enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib which could serve as a potent instrument in bringing about social resurgence.

Principal Madanjit Kaur Sahota stated that our country had a great future if youngsters were conscious about the problems of the community. She also wished the students good luck for their examinations.