Mysuru: CSIR-CFTRI has been keenly playing a role in the lives of farmers across the nation with agrotechnology for superfoods and training for food processing solutions for value addition at the farm gate levels.
At a time when farmers were ending their lives in distress due to crop failure, CSIR-CFTRI has introduced superfoods, Chia and Quinoa to farmers across the nation. The agrotechnology developed by CSIR-CFTRI has given the farmers a good yield of these superfoods in Indian conditions. Farmers from the Raita Mitra Farmer Producer Company have been a standing example of operational excellence and entrepreneurial success in earning a profit from the production of these superfoods. Chia seeds occur in both white and black colour naturally. CSIR-CFTRI has developed agrotechnology for white chia seeds, although the seed colour does not affect the nutrition profile of the seed, white chia seeds blend seamlessly well with all foods.
Chia is the richest vegetarian source of Omega-3 fatty acids and Quinoa has quality carbohydrate with low glycemic load and comprehensive protein contents. These superfoods have found their way into the Indian plate today, thanks to our farmers. CSIR-CFTRI has also helped connect industries enquiring about the superfood availability in bulk to the farmers and has also been working with food industries to develop advanced nutrition products with superfood ingredients.
“Sugarcane farmers today are facing various challenges and excess cane is often wasted. CSIR-CFTRI has developed technologies for shelf-life extended sugar cane juice and carbonated sugar cane beverage. Sugar cane juice concentrates can be dispensed with carbonation in the ready to drink form with our technology,” added Ram Rajashekharan, Director CSIR-CFTRI.
The CSIR-CFTRI family is honoured to be a part of the farmer’s family of our nation. The Make in India mission in the food processing sector will have a grand success, thanks to our famers dedicated efforts. CSIR-CFTRI effort is adding to nutrition security through its superfoods and improving food security with food processing solutions.
