1. Title of the program: SAARC Regional Training on Agro-business focusing Agro Food Processing.
  2. Host Organization: ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, India.
  3. Coordinating organization : SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC).
  4. Funding Agency: SAARC Development Fund (SDF).
  5. Date: 12 – 15 September, 2022.
  6. Brief summary:The opening session of the SAARC Regional Training on Agro-business focusing Agro Food Processing was graced by Honorable Chief Guest, Dr. A.K. Singh, Deputy Director General, ICAR, India. Dr. Md. Baktear Hossain, Director SAARC Agriculture Centre and Dr. Debi Sharma, Director, IIHR were present as special guests in the opening session. Among others, Dr. Md. Younus Ali, Project Coordinator, livelihood enhancement project, SAC, Dr. C.K. Narayana, Head, PHT, IIHR, Dr. P.C. Tripathy, Nodal officer, PME Cell, IIHR were also attended in the opening ceremony to the said training programme.This training was attended by 06 participants from 5 SAARC Member States (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka) under the SDF funded livelihood enhancement project and the lecture of the training covers range of topics related to value chain management of fruits and vegetables, agro food processing, products handling and delivery, food safety and challenges and opportunity of the value chain development. The details of lectures delivered are compiled in Training Manual of this important training. Apart from the lectures, participants of training went for one-day field visit to India Food Park.The closing session of the training was graced by Honorable former Director, ICAR-IIHR by awarding of certificates and delivering important closing remarks related to agro processing opportunity in South Asia.
  7. Objectives:
      (a) Build capacity of the implementing agencies on agro food processing
      (b) Explore the new innovative technologies on agro processing
      (c) Know about the processing mechanisms focusing on agro food system
  8. Salient achievements: Exchanging knowledge on agro food processing among the participants.
  9. Recommendations: Participants have recommended that if similar kind of training could be held in future with the advancement of food technologies.
  10. Challenges and lesson learned: Limited days to complete the whole training process.
  11. Program Schedule: Attached

Participants list

  1. Mr. Md. Monirul Islam, project focal point, IA, Bangladesh
  2. Ms. Sonam Lhamo, Project Focal point, IA Bhutan
  3. Mr. Jibin Thomas, Project Coordinator, MSSRF, IA India
  4. Mr. Seenivasan, MSSRF, IA India
  5. Mr. Ismail Rasheed, Project Focal, IA Maldives
  6. Mr. S.U. Ranasinghe, IA Sri Lanka
  7. Dr. Md. Younus Ali, Project Coordinator, Livelihood Project, SAC
  8. Dr. Md. Baktear Hossain, Director, SAC