ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: The Higher Education Commission has approved a project entitled “Food technology - a tool for poverty alleviation for rural areas” at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, at a cost of about Rs35 million.

The project was approved in a meeting of Departmental Development Working Party held at HEC campus here.

The main objective of the scheme is to transfer food preservation and processing technology to create income generating opportunities for rural areas.

It is aimed at saving the grains, fruits and vegetables from destruction from preharvest level to the storage and market. It would endeavour for technologies to save the nutritive value of food and to find cheap sources of nutritious food for the community.

To increase the farm and household income, the project envisages bringing simple technologies of food preservation and processing before the rural communities to help establish cottage industries in the natural food produces.

It aims to enhance the capabilities of the food technology department of the university by involving postgraduate students into advanced research endeavours.

The project will enhance the training, education, higher research, and extension capabilities of the university and turn it into a premier food processing and preservation research and training institute in Sindh.

The university will establish ISO standards.