Thrissur: A scientist at Kerala Agriculture University (KAU), Dr. K.P. Sudheer, has been awarded the state government’s Krishi Vigyan Award for the best Agricultural scientist for the year 2015. He was selected for the award on the basis of his research achievements and development activities in the field of value addition and entrepreneurship development in the food processing sector. The award was handed over to Mr Sudheer at a function held at Palakkad on Tuesday.
Sudheer is presently heading the Centre of Excellence in Post-harvest Technology at Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (KCAET), Tavanur. He had developed many innovative process protocols and food processing machinery to cater to the needs of the emerging food processing sector. Vacuum frying technology suitable for chips-making industry, ready to eat foods, retort pouch packaging technology, micro encapsulation technology, Osmo-vacuum drying technology for the production of dry fruits are innovative technologies developed by him, officials at KAU said.
He has also contributed towards the design and development of gender-friendly small scale processing tools viz. jackfruit slicer, banana slicer, jackfruit dryer, wax applicator among others. He has played a significant role in the promotion of entrepreneurship development in jackfruit processing, banana processing and rice processing sector through the Agri- Business Incubator located at KCAET Tavanur.
He is a graduate of KAU and completed his Masters Degree in Engineering from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and PhD from IARI, New Delhi. Having completed a Postdoctoral study in K U Leuven, Belgium, he also had training in Food Safety and Quality from Cornell University, USA and Ghent University, Belgium and Agri Business management, Packaging of Horticultural crops from Israel and Food safety from Wageningan University, Netherlands.
