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CFTRI join hands with private firms to protect farmers' interests

MoU signed on tech transfer; pvt company to market products
Last Updated 17 July 2015, 18:10 IST

 The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) has begun efforts to empower farmers and dalits of the country.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday with Raithamitra Farmers Producers Company Limited, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Nutriplanet Food Pvt Ltd., Bengaluru, a company involved in retailing of highly nutritious products in domestic and international markets.

At a time when farmers are ending their lives over their inability to repay loans due to crop loss, the initiative will lend a helping hand to them.

Working together
Under the broad framework of the MoU, the organisations have agreed to work together on addressing the wellness of the population by exploring the scientific advances in the area of nutraceuticals in terms of technology transfer and research and development programmes at its incubation facility – Nutra-Phyto Incubation Centre and Common Instrumentation Facility (NPIC-CIF). This includes bioavailability studies of the intended product, study of the impact of developed products on cognitive performance, physical endurance and other aspects of health and wellness, and encapsulation of chia seed oil.

The firms will bear the cost of technology transfer and that of rentals. With this, the CSIR-CFTRI and Nutri-planet will be responsible in achieving outreach of nutritious products on a larger scale.

Chia and Quinoa
With the Chia and Quinoa seeds being recognised as ‘super foods’ across the globe, it is believed that it would help in solving the farmers problems to a great extent. The CFTRI had conducted a workshop in 2014 to popularise white chia and quinoa seeds among the farmers, having rich nutritional value.

It encouraged the farmers to take up cultivation of these seeds which have good demand in international markets. Accordingly, it has made an arrangement with the Nutriplanet Food Pvt Ltd., to help in selling the produce. Crop insurance is also provided.

Key witnesses
The MoU was signed in the presence of dalit leader and former mayor R Purushotham, Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar, also the chairman of Raithamitra Farmers Producer Company Ltd., Raja Nayak, coordinator of South India unit and president of Karnataka Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, also the director of Nutriplanet Foods Pvt Ltd and director, CFTRI, Ram Rajasekharan.

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(Published 17 July 2015, 18:10 IST)

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