About Us

The Post Harvest Technology Center (PHTC) was established in April, 2004 as a constituent discipline of Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore to provide an infrastructure for multidisciplinary post harvest and food process engineering programmes and to play a lead role in developing appropriate, need based and cost effective post harvest technologies and dissemination of the technologies to the user groups for large scale adoption. The centre functions with an interdisciplinary approach to find solutions for field problems of current importance, and the scientists working on the center’s research project include Process Engineers, Food Technologists, Food Microbiologists, Biochemists, Entomologists, Horticulturists and Agricultural Economists.

The centre contributes its success to its renowned faculty and world class facilities .The PHTC is one of the leading unit in India and with its resources, the centre makes an excellent extended resource for the food industry entrepreneurs. The centre also serves as a focal point for faculty to form multidisciplinary research and out reach teams focused on various issues in food processing and post harvest operations. The centre is currently collabarating with McGill University, Canada on consolidation of Food Security in South India.

MISSION

1. Developing improved methods of processing and designing gadgets for highly perishable commodities such as fruits and vegetables for value addition and to meet the global standards and consumer demand.

2. Developing cost effective processing technologies and equipments at farm and village levels for economic utilization of agricultural waste and by-products.

3. Exploring the scope and possibilities of establishing cold chain and providing low cost pre-cooling facilities for farmers and entrepreneurs. ,

4. Development of low cost, environment friendly and consumer appealing packaging technologies to increase the shelf life and consumer acceptance both in the domestic and global markets.

5. Establishing agro processing complexes in and around the production centres.

6. Developing standards for food safety, quality and technology (Quality control).

7. Imparting training to the farmers, entrepreneurs, development department staff and bank officials to promote agro-processing facilities especially for horticultural produces.

8. Development of Food – Processing Incubators in selected localities.

VISION

v Post production mechanization for fruits and vegetables

v Establishment of quality standards , Food testing and Quality Control Laboratories

v Innovative research on advanced food processing technologies

v Providing National and International leadership in post harvest and food processing technology, food safety, quality and public policy issues

v Establishment of Production Centers cum Food processing Business incubators at district level.

v Food security and food safety by 2020.