Short Term International Training Programme under Indo-Africa Forum Summit III inaugurated by Sh. Surya Pratap Shahi Ji, Hon’ble Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh

Tue, 06 August 2019

The third India-Africa Forum Summit held during October 2015 marked a milestone in the millennia old relationship between the Indian government and the representatives of 54 African countries. This Summit unveiled a "Dynamic and Transformative Agenda” of mutual empowerment and mutual resurgence to bring India and Africa closer in years and decades to come. In this summit major thrust was given on agricultural development by pursuing joint cooperation in the agricultural and food security fields and support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). In this connection DARE in consultation with Ministry of External Affairs has approved 12 Agricultural Training Programme for delegates of African countries. ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi is organizing one such Short Term International Training Programme under Indo-Africa Forum Summit III on “Value Addition and Product Diversification in Vegetables” during 2-16 August 2019 in which 14 delegates were nominated from 5 different African countries and 7 delegates arrived till date from 4 countries. The training programme was inaugurated by Sh. Surya Pratap Shahi Ji, Hon’ble Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 4 August 2019. During his address he told, it is a matter of great pleasure that, delegates from Africa will learn our technologies and spread it in their countries. He also emphasized on women empowerment in agriculture and nutritional security. Director of the institute Dr. Jagdish Singh welcomed the Hon’ble Minister and made a brief presentation on the institutional research and extension activities and also gave an outline of the international training programme. Dr. Singh said that from the same volume of a primary product, a high price can be realized by means of processing, packaging, and upgrading the quality of the produce through value addition. Crop diversification and value addition are two important components of profit maximization and provide remunerative price to the farmers for their produce. The value addition coupled with marketing has enormous potential of solving the basic problems of horticultural surplus and produce wastage. Further, it can create rural employment opportunities