The CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute has developed a Mobile Processing Unit (MPU) for the North Eastern region to enable on-site processing of fruits and vegetables and reduce post-harvest wastage. The unit has been designed for the North East Centre for Technology Application and Research, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
The mobile unit was inaugurated in Meghalaya by Governor C. H. Vijayashankar in the presence of NECTAR Director General Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma and CFTRI Director Dr. Giridhar Parvatam.
According to officials, the primary aim of the mobile processing facility is to minimise the large-scale wastage of fruits and vegetables in the Northeast by enabling processing at the farm level, particularly for small and medium farmers who lack access to fixed processing infrastructure.
The MPU is designed to function as a processing unit on wheels, allowing farmers and producer groups to convert fresh produce into value-added products such as pulp, juice, beverages, canned foods, dehydrated items, pickles, and jams. Besides reducing losses, the initiative is expected to create new income opportunities and promote entrepreneurship in rural areas.
Officials stated that the project will also include skill development and training programmes to help local farmers and youth learn fruit and vegetable processing techniques and develop small-scale food businesses based on locally grown produce.
The project was funded and coordinated by NECTAR, while the unit was engineered by the Food Engineering and Technology Transfer divisions of CFTRI. Scientists associated with the project included Dr. Umesh Hebbar, Dr. Aashitosh A. Inamdar, and Punil Kumar H. N. from CSIR-CFTRI, who were present during the launch event.