Around 50 women attached to four Community Interest Groups (CIG) in Kaniyambadi Block were given training to prepare sweets and other value added products from milk, at the District Collectorate on Monday.
The members of Mahatma Gandhi, Sakthi, Thanjiamman and Vellai Thamarai groups, beneficiaries of the Agricultural Technology and Management Agency (ATMA), under which women could form groups and carry out business, benefited from the programme jointly organised by Department of Agriculture, Veterinary University Training and Research Centre and Department of Animal Husbandry.
While inaugurating the programme, Joint Director (in charge) of Department of Agriculture and Project Director of ATMA Scheme, K Tamizhselvan, said, “Producing paddy alone cannot help a farmer, as the market and rains have become uncertain. When the production of milk in a village cannot be preserved, the farmers themselves can prepare by-products such as curd, cheese, butter and other value added products such as sweets and earn money. This will earn more money than selling the original products.”
On Monday, women were trained to prepare unsweetened kova, paneer, gulab jamoon and rose milk. Assistant Professor and Head of Veterinary University Training and Research Centre, S Saraswathi said, “There are a total of five CIGs in Kaniyambadi block. Four groups were given training on milk products. The best out of them would be chosen and `10,000 would be given as a capital to carry out business. Other groups would be given training in some other areas such as poultry.”