Post-harvest losses in villages occur due to lack of storage facilities and processing methods. To avoid loss of farm produce during post-harvest season, a five-day training of trainers on post-harvest management was organised for 10 extension supervisors at Lingmithang, Monggar.
The training that ended today taught participants on value addition in fruit processing, food safety management and marketing of crops. They also underwent practical sessions on baking cookies.
“Most of the crops villagers grow may not reach the market because the quantity is same but it’s huge for their own consumption. Our focus is to see whatever excess they produce are processed and produced in value added products,” said Dechen Tshering, Chief Post Production Officer of National Post Harvest Centre based in Paro.
Participants said the training will be helpful while training the farmers on managing post-harvest crop loss.
“For instance if we are not able to sell all fruits in market, we know how to process and make it into edible items which can be useful for farmers,” said Sonam Delkar, Agriculture Extension Supervisor of Tsakaling Gewog.
Other gewog agriculture extension supervisors said the post-harvest management training have acquainted them to train farmers and encourage youth to come up with fruit processing enterprises.
“We can even encourage youth to take agriculture as an enterprise. We can be able to address farmers’ problem associated with marketing of their fresh products, which is one of the main challenge,” said Sonam Phuntsho, Agriculture Extension Supervisor of Balam Gewog.
National Post Harvest Centre organised the training with financial support from SAARC Development Fund.
