Post Harvest Technologies developed recently

Postharvest management and value addition is integral to agricultural production for reduction in postharvest losses, meet consumer requirements, preserve nutritional quality, optimize the utilization of by-products and create employment opportunities. A number of machines, hand tools, gadgets such as modified railway freight container for long distance transportation of fruits and vegetables, banana comb cutter, pomegranate aril extraction machine, litchi fruit -peeling machine, ohmic heating system for stabilization of rice bran, continuous feed type aloe vera gel extractor, cashew nut drum roasting machine, autoclavable microencapsulation system for micro-organisms, handloom for weaving ornamental jute fabrics, mini carding machine for cotton, double roller ginning machine with self-grooving rubber roller, coconut fibre segregator machine etc. have been developed and commercialized. Process protocols and value added products, namely green chilli powder, animal feed pellets from potato processing waste and culled potatoes, prefabricated grass carpet with natural fibre-based backing material, mulching sheet from jute nonwoven, nano-cellulose powder from cotton etc. have been developed. These products have been accepted by the farmers, entrepreneurs and farmers.  The current research efforts emphasize on the development of equipment, process protocols and value added products suiting the production catchments and meeting the health requirements of the various sections of the population.