Aiming at bolstering the income of the less educated, uneducated and unemployed in the job scarce times, the Skill Development Centre of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) conducted two training programmes on “Jaggery, Shakkar and Natural Vinegar Making” as well as “Soybean and Milk Processing” for the urban and rural dwellers. A total of 54 and 21 trainees received hands-on training during both the programmes, respectively, held as per the guidance of Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education.
Dr Rupinder Kaur, Associate Director (Skill Development), while sharing the programme contours, advocated the prepping of adulteration-free gur and shhakar as well as natural vinegar from sugarcane juice for reaping additional revenue besides raising standards of living.
The course coordinator Dr Kulvir Kaur while reflecting on the growing importance of home-cooked recipes, shared key highlights of the training programmes and urged for the beginning of small-scale agri-businesses for acquiring steady income.
Experts from the Departments of Processing and Food Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU; and Regional Research Station, Kapurthala, demonstrated the processing, packaging, labelling techniques and quality maintenance of jaggery, shakkar, soybean and milk-based food products. Experts, namely Dr Mahesh Kumar, Additional Director of Research (Food Engineering); Dr MS Alam, Dr Preetinder Kaur, Dr GK Gill, Dr GS Sanghera, Dr Jashanjot Kaur, Dr Laneka Kashyap, Dr Poonam A Sachdev, Dr Naresh Arora, Dr GS Kocher, Dr Keshani, Dr Pooja, Dr Priya Katyal, Mrs Kamaljit Kaur, Dr Arshdeep Singh, Dr Jaspreet Kaur, Dr Hanuman Bobade and Dr Antima Gupta provided hands-on experience to the trainees in the preparation of seasonal traditional food items.
Mrs Kuldeep Kaur coordinated the visit of the trainees to the Khalsa Processing Unit, village Jangpur, Ludhiana, owned by Gurpreet Singh.
Mrs Kanwaljit Kaur proposed a vote of thanks.