Anantapur: JNTU, Anantapur will introduce B.Tech (food technology) course at Kalikiri engineering college in Chittoor district from the next academic year. This is the first time that the course is being offered in the state. JNTU-A vice-chancellor Prof. K. Lal Kishore told this newspaper that the aim of introducing the course was to encourage students improve technologies in agro-based industries in Rayalaseema. Though majority of the areas in the region are drought hit, farmers are growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. “But due to lack of modern and improvised technologies in food processing, farmers are dumping their produce in distress after failing to obtain minimum support price many times,” he lamented. For instance, tomato farmers are not getting even 10 paise per kilo even in the peak season in Madanapalle area in Chittoor district, the native of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. Similar is the case with farmers of watermelon, mango and other vegetables, he pointed out. The vice-chancellor observed the success of food technology course at Mysore University in Karnataka and the got it sanctioned for the Kalikiri college. Agro-based industries are less in number in the region, he pointed out. ‘’About 50 seats were sanctioned for this specialised branch,’’ he said. The government had sanctioned Rs 198 crore for the development of the Kalikiri engineering college besides 60 acres of land. Of this, 30 acres has already been acquired. The vice-chancellor hoped the new course will certainly do good to farmers in the region by helping them adopt modern methods for processing their produce.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 06:24:09 +0000
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