A 10-days farmers’ training program on extraction and value addition of non-conventional banana fibre for empowering Naga farmers, organized by the department of Agricultural Engineering, in collaboration with Science & Technology Intervention in North Eastern Region (STINER), SAS, Nagaland University, Medziphema and funded by ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fiber Engineering and Technology (NINFET), Kolkata, was inaugurated on February 4 to empower local farmers with innovative agricultural practices.
This is the second in a series of five training programs greenlit under a major funded project, aimed at scaling up eco-friendly innovations for rural communities.
According to an update from NU, the event was graced by Prof. Dipak Sinha, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Medziphema campus, Nagaland University. Prof. Sinha shared about the importance of adopting sustainable and innovative technologies in agriculture for their support in uplifting rural farmers. He also suggested incorporation of success stories from previous training programs for the benefit of the trainees.
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The Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Khan Chand, Deptt of Agricultural Engineering, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University provided a brief overview of the project and benefits of eco-friendly banana fibers. Considering his substantial experience in food processing, he elucidated the journey of banana fiber from extraction to the marketable product.The interactive session spotlighted banana fibre’s promise as a green alternative for key industries, spurring attendees to pick up innovative skills for economic upliftment. This project has the involvement of Dr. V.B. Shabhu (PI), ICAR-NINFET Kolkata, Prof. Akali Sema (Co-PI), Prof. L. Tongpang (Co-PI), Prof. A.K. Verma (Co-PI), Dr. Chitrasen L. (Co-PI)and Dr. Prabhakar Singh (Co-PI), SAS, Nagaland University.
Out of the 20 farmers, eight were from Choklangan Village (Noklak District) and twelve from Sirhima village (Chumukedima District). Having participated in the inaugural session, they will undergo hands-on training aimed at teaching efficient banana fibre extraction and the step-by-step conversion of this natural resource into saleable products. This initiative is designed to boost value addition in local sustainable agriculture and open up alternative livelihoods for the farming community, helping them diversify income streams amid changing market demands.
