Solan: Turning locally available tomatoes into value-added products and viable business opportunities, Shoolini University organised a two-day hands-on workshop on “Tomato Processing, Value Addition and Commercial Ketchup Production”, equipping women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Community Level Federations (CLFs) and aspiring entrepreneurs with practical skills in food processing and entrepreneurship.
The workshop was organised by the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology (FASB) in collaboration with the Block Development Offices of Solan and Kandaghat. Around 40 members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Community Level Federations (CLFs) and aspiring women entrepreneurs participated in the programme.
The programme focused on strengthening practical skills in tomato processing while highlighting the potential of value addition to promote women-led enterprises, SHG-based businesses, and sustainable livelihoods in the region.
During the two-day programme, participants received hands-on training in tomato processing, puree and paste preparation, value-added tomato products, commercial ketchup and sauce production, packaging and preservation techniques, quality control, FSSAI requirements, costing and entrepreneurship.
The practical sessions demonstrated how raw tomatoes can be transformed into marketable products, helping participants understand the complete process from handling fresh produce to processing, preservation, packaging and commercialisation.
The workshop also focused on the importance of maintaining quality and food safety standards in food-processing enterprises. Participants were introduced to FSSAI requirements and the importance of proper costing and pricing in developing commercially viable products.
The initiative aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurial capabilities of women and SHG members and encourage them to explore tomato-based value-added products as potential sources of income and sustainable livelihood.
The workshop highlighted how food processing and value addition can create new economic opportunities in rural areas by linking local agricultural produce with entrepreneurship, markets and employment generation.
