All India Coordinated Research Project on PHT (Solan Centre) organised One day Farmer’s Meet under Tribal Service Programme (TSP) in the department of Food Science and Technology, Nauni-Solan here today.

The group comprised of hundred (100) growers/ farmers of Bharmour, Pangi and Kinnaur areas of HP. Dr Vijay Singh Thakur, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni was the Chief Guest for the inaugural ceremony of the occasion.

Three training programmes were organized under the TSP project. The Organising Secretary of the trainings was Dr Devina Vaidya and Coordinators were Dr Manisha Kaushal, Dr Anil Verma and Anil Gupta. Three training programmes comprised of farmers from tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh viz., Pangi (District Chamba) and Kinnaur area; Holi, Kuthed, Kulekh, and Lamu panchayats of Bharmour block and third group comprised of Deol, Khani, Khangala and Poonal panchayats of Bharmour block comprising of 24, 24 and 25 participants respectively with a total of 73 farmers.

The training programme was organized specifically on the value addition of horticulture crops. The farmers were practical demonstrated about different products like extraction of pulp and juice from fruits, manufacturing of beverages, Osmotically dried products from apricot, plum and sand pear, preparation of bread and biscuits, mushroom fortified products, extraction of oil from apricot kernels. The farmers were given vast knowledge about packaging of different products and popularization of traditional products of their areas.