Haryana, UK Team Up for Sustainable Crop Management Center in Panchkula

Haryana-UK Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Crop Post-Harvest Management and Cold Chain to be Established in Panchkula

 With a significant step towards the development of horticulture, the Government of Haryana has established the Haryana-UK Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Crop Post-Harvest Management and Cold Chain (CoE-SPMCC) jointly with the University of Birmingham, UK. The MoU was signed in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini. The Centre will be located at Panchkula, and its prime goal is to improve the quality and freshness of horticulture produce and minimize post-harvest losses and provide their efficient storage and transportation from farm to consumer.

The MoU has been inked between Shri Raja Shekhar Vundru, Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Haryana, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), University of Birmingham. The Chief Minister underlined the importance of managing the cold chains keeping in mind the reduction of post-harvest loss as Haryana is going further on diversification into fresh fruits and vegetables produce.

The Centre would be a hi-tech test and research centre to conduct post-harvest management of vegetables and fruits. The Centre would serve as a focal point for research and student-faculty members of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, and Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal, and furnish much-needed research and testing facilities in the area of post-harvest management and cold chain technology.

The main objectives of the Centre include developing guidelines and protocols for post-harvest loss reduction, providing test facilities for efficient cold chain management, enabling innovations in the cold chain, enabling technology start-ups, and enabling adoption of sustainable models in cold chain solutions. The Centre will also try to minimize food wastage through proper post-harvest management and cold chain practice.

Apart from research activities, the Centre would also provide training programs, technology demonstrator, and incubation space to enable farmers and entrepreneurs to keep pace with the fast-changing agricultural ecosystem. The state government has shortlisted 15 acres of land in Sector 21, Panchkula, adjacent to the Horticulture Directorate for setting up CoE-SPMCC. The centre will have a training center, technology demonstration center, testing center, and technology incubation center.

The collaboration with the University of Birmingham will infuse technical expertise into the Centre, with the University leading a consortium of international and UK universities, including London South Bank University, Cranfield University, Heriot-Watt University, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Universities will be at the center of developing and designing the Centre, with the knowledge of Birmingham University on energy systems, storage technology, and refrigeration being brought to bear.

The Centre will set a benchmark of sustainable post-harvest management and cold chain practices for Haryana and be a pioneering promoter of reduced food wastage, profitability, and sustainability in horticulture cultivation and research.

Source: Haryana Government Press Release.