Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
Rudrapur: The Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) Pantnagar in district Udham Singh Nagar has been granted a patent for developing an innovative Finger Millet Dehuller-cum-Pearler, designed to improve the edibility and value of finger millet. Spearheaded by scientists Navin Chandra Shahi, former scientists Anupama Singh, Khan Chand, TP Singh, and M.Tech student Shivshankar Verma, the machine was created through a collaboration between the Department of Post Harvest Process and Food Engineering and the Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering.
With Uttarakhand producing approximately 1.3 lakh metric tonnes of finger millet across 88,500 hectares, this crop is significant to the region. However, finger millet’s rough, fibrous, and waxy outer layers hinder its use as whole-grain flour. The Dehuller-cum-Pearler machine addresses this issue by effectively removing the undesirable outer layers, making the grain more suitable for consumption and enhancing its market value.
“It took two years to develop this machine, which will bring considerable benefits to the millet-producing farmers in Uttarakhand,” said Alaknanda Ashok, the Dean of the College of Technology. Vice-Chancellor Manmohan Singh Chauhan said, “This development is a proud milestone for the university and a significant step in agricultural innovation.”
