| In a bid to enhance marketing skill, product packaging and labeling, business plan and strategies to the SHGs/FIGs/FPO, a three Days Skill Development Programme on “Marketing of Agri-Food Products” was organized in the Institute during 23 -25 October 2025. The training programme was aimed to provide hands on interactive training on quality regulations & certification of Agri-produce & products, product packaging and labeling, Markets identification, product marketability, e-marketing through ICT approaches, market risks and associated strategies, resource mapping & business planning for entrepreneurship development, technical guidance, exploring promotional strategies (advertising, public relations, and content marketing) for better marketability, Improving customers’ engagement, cost-effective marketing and global expansion of food products etc. About 25 women from different SHGs/FPOs covering three districts (seven blocks) were participated the programme. |
| Lectures were delivered by professors from renowned management Institutions like Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIT), Bhubaneswar as well as expert from professional society who have imparted effective knowledge/thought and shared their experience on successful women entrepreneurs across the rural India. Dr. Pradeep Mishra, Associate Professor, Rural Management, XIMB, delivered a lecture on markets identification, mapping of resources and business planning for entrepreneurship development, identification, assessment and mitigation of potential risks associated with product marketing. Dr. Mousumi Padhi, Associate Dean, HRM/Content development & promotion, XIMB elaborated on exploring promotional strategies for better marketability of products. Dr. Subhra Pattnaik, Associate Professor, HRM/E-commerce/ICT application explained how to improve customers’ engagement, work space management, cost-effective marketing and global expansion of food products through ICT approaches. Dr. M P Nayak, Professor, OUAT, Bhubaneswar in his lecture briefed on quality regulations & certification of Agri-produce & products, FSSAI regulations, food products order, equipment selections and sanitation, phytosanitary measures and urged trainees for complying to necessary guidelines for products development for a commercial start-up activity. |
| Dr. Damodar Jena Professor, Rural Management, KIIT, Bhubaneswar shared his ideas on cost-economics, business planning for sustainable environmental friendly production. His experience on how a small innovation in packaging has a dramatic effect on product marketability is really commendable. Mr. Barna Baibhaba Panda, The Livelihood School of BASIX and Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Bhubaneswar shared his experience on effective marketing strategies of Agri-food products for FPOs and SHGs in rural India. It was an eye-opener for the trainees that may certainly boost their products to the higher scale of marketing instead of selling to the local market. Mr. P. K Nayak, MBA (Finance) and Finance & Accounts Officer (FAO) ICAR-CIWA gave an theoretical exposure to financial management for cost-effective production, profitability, record maintaining, associated bankable features on business process, price fixation & Break Even Point (BEP) analysis etc. In addition to this, the trainees were exposed to Agri-businees Incubation (ABI) centre and bakery unit where practical demonstration on product novelty, packaging and labelling was also imparted to them. Dr S. Swain, Sr. Scientist and the Course Co-ordinator and Er P. K. Rout, Tech Officer, the course facilitator rendered ideas on work space management and how to maintain the hygienic of the food products. All the lectures were very much interesting with case studies and group discussion for products promotion where trainees were interacted with experts to solve their respective problems associated with labelling and marketing and has shown their keen interest to enhance their business process. |
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