Salient Achievements

Salient Achievements

A total of 278 new machines, equipment, and technologies were developed to advance farm mechanization and improve post-harvest handling, along with 168 process protocols and value-added product technologies formulated to support diversified and enhanced agri-food processing.
A total of 37,104 prototypes of farm machines were fabricated and distributed to stakeholders for testing and field-level use, and 844 demonstrations of agricultural equipment and machinery were conducted across 28,269 hectares to showcase their performance and promote wider adoption.
392 Agro-processing Centres (APCs) were established across India to promote employment generation, enhance value addition, and build the capacity of entrepreneurs in food processing and post-harvest management within production catchments.
Developed protocols for shelf life, safe storage, milling outturn, and indicative norms for procurement of major pulses for the country on behalf of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
Losses during storage of wheat and rice in warehouses for three years were evaluated in FCI and CWC warehouses, and the recommendations of the study have been implemented by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India w.e.f. 01.01.2022.
Developed sugarcane bud chip settling transplanter and licensed it to farm machinery manufacturers.
Technology for accelerated retting of jute (NINFET-Sathi) improved fibre quality by 1–2 grades.
Established BIS standard IS:7032-2020 for grading of jute, mesta, and bimli fibres.
Briquettes and pellets made from cotton stalks serve as an effective source of renewable energy. Utilization of chipped cotton stalks provides additional income opportunities for farmers, and several briquetting and pelleting enterprises are operating successfully in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Face masks (three or four layers) with excellent breathability and high filtration efficiency were prepared from engineered double fabric (100% cotton) structures.
India’s first nano cellulose plant was established at ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai.
Lac production technologies were standardized for various hosts such as Flemingia semialata, ber, and Calliandra calothyrsus. The latter was found to be a highly suitable host for cultivation of both strains of lac insect (Kerria lacca).
Intercropping models of Flemingia semialata with vegetable crops were developed for both summer and winter seasons for lac production along with other crops, enabling effective land utilization.
A pilot plant for producing protein isolate powder was established at ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana.
Technology & Machinery Demonstration Mela is being organized as an annual event by the SMD through centres of AICRPs.
National-level studies were conducted on harvest and post-harvest losses, warehouse efficiency, and grain storage management, leading to significant reduction in food grain losses and substantial annual savings for national agencies.
An automated fumigation chamber and standard protocols for SO₂ and CO₂ fumigation of grapes were developed and implemented, enabling safe export by effectively addressing fruit fly infestations for international markets.
An MoU was signed with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India, for the project titled “Study on Determining Storage Losses of Pulses Stored in Warehouse and Recommend Norms for Loss/Grain during Long-Term Storage”, implemented through collaboration with 10 centres across multiple states covering major pulses such as moong, urd, chana, arhar, and masoor.
Onion storage pilot studies were conducted at four locations in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in collaboration with WRI, USA / WRI, India.