PAU’s AICRP-PHET Centre Bags Best Centre of Year Award

Ludhiana, Nov 25, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) continued to shine at the national level with the team of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Post-harvest Engineering and Technology (PHET) bagging the prestigious “Best Centre of the Year 2024-25 Award” for the second consecutive year.

This accolade was conferred upon the Department of Processing and Food Engineering, PAU at the 40th Annual Workshop of AICRP on PHET, held at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, from November 20-22, 2024. The department has been awarded for its stellar performance during the fiscal year 2024-25.

Outperforming 27centers nationwide, AICRP on PHET scheme running under Department of Processing and Food Engineering, PAU, stood out for its outstanding contributions in performance and development of technologies in post-harvest engineering and technology.

Dr SN Jha, Deputy Director General (Engineering), ICAR, New Delhi, presented the award to the PAU team, including Dr MS Alam, Dr Surekha Bhatia, Dr Sandhya, Dr Manpreet Kaur Saini, Dr Rohit Sharma and Dr Gagandeep Kaur, for putting in exceptional efforts and making significant strides within the scheme.

The PAU, Ludhiana Centre has become a pioneer in the establishment and popularization of the concept of Agro Processing Complex throughout Punjab.

Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr Alam, the team has spearheaded various innovative post-harvest machinery/technologies such as process protocol for stevia powder from stevia, bold menthol crystals from mentha oil, vacuum assisted ohmic heating system for aonla juice, vacuum assisted osmotic impregnation system, IoT/sensor based detection process for honey, doctored vegetables and automated biogas flushed storage system.

The Centre also has to its credit various groundbreaking technologies like honey-heating-cum filtration system, farm level fruit and vegetable washing machine, turmeric washing and polishing machine, radial honey extractor; electric-cum-battery heated uncapping knife, process protocol and pilot plant for pectin extraction from kinnow and mosambi peel, protection kit for stored pulses and many more that have had a profound impact on the agricultural sector.

The Centre’s activities also included training the stakeholders and officials of the state.

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, and Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research, congratulated the Principal Investigator Dr Alam and his team for this exemplary achievement.

Dr Manjeet Singh, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology; and Dr TC Mittal, Head, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, lauded the team’s dedication, outstanding performance and noteworthy contributions in the field of post-harvest engineering and technology research.