‘Form self-help groups for empowerment’

Ludhiana, February 22

A five-day training course on “Food Preservation,” jointly organised by the Department of Extension Education and the Skill Development Centre, concluded at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

The course was held at Beela village in Pakhowal block, Ludhiana, under the entrepreneurship programme for scheduled castes. As many as 30 farm women attended the training course which aimed at imparting entrepreneurial skills needed for running a particular venture.

Dr Dharminder Singh, Senior Extension Scientist, urged the farm women to unite and form self-help groups for empowerment. He also encouraged them to read farm literature and reap benefits from various training programmes of the PAU.

Dr Parkash Singh, Agriculture Officer, explained different schemes, being offered by the department to the farmers and farm women.

Dr Lakhwinder Kaur, Extension Scientist, while proposing a vote of thanks, advised the women to utilise the surplus vegetables and fruits through processing for enhancing family income for empowerment so that role of women is not restricted in four walls of home and their work is not underestimated and underscored.

For entrepreneurial development of rural community, especially, women in the field of food processing and value addition, the experts from the Department of Food Science and Technology gave hands-on-training in the making of milk products such as chenna murki, flavoured milk, spiced paneer and kulfi. Experts also demonstrated the preparation of kinnow squash, carrot murabba and amla murabba. They elaborated the importance of growing potato and use of surplus potato in making of aloo pujia and chips and emphasised on utilisation of whey food products and nutritious value of these products. — TNS