Family Alliance For Development And Cooperation, Tanzania

POST HARVEST SOLAR DRYING TECHNOLOGY

Fruits and Vegetables in Kagera Region

Background:

Kagera Region is among the most endowed regions in Tanzania with high agricultural potential. The region receives adequate rainfall throughout the year and has considerable fertile soils compared to most other regions in the country. Over 90% of the population is actively involved in agriculture and is largely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood ( food and cash). Karagwe district is one of the 6 districts in the region with highest agricultural production.

Contrary to these facts, the region is one of the poorest in relation to income per capital and the Gross Domestic Product. Limited access to markets has been prioritized as the main constraint which of course is compounded by other problems like poor road/ communication infrastructure development.

Fruit and Vegetable production:

The region produces a lot of fruits and vegetables. Limited access to direct markets for these products, make the production of these crops meaningless and of little economic relevance. Over 80% of fruit loss has been reported in the fruit growing districts of Karagwe (Sweet and green bananas), Bukoba (pineapples), Geita (pineapples and Mangoes) and Ukerewe (Mangoes).

With almost every farmer producing enough fruits and vegetables of their own, it has been difficult to develop a sustainable local market. The only hope lies in a far away market (and most probably, an export one to countries that cannot effectively grow tropical crops).

However, fruits and vegetables are among the very perishable crops which will not keep long after maturity/ harvest. Either they be eaten or processed and preserved. This is not easy under normal rural settings in an Tanzanian farmer's context.

1.0 Project identification and background

Problem analysis:

Through a PRA process in 1995-6, a problem analysis was carried out by FADECO in Karagwe district. The main objective of this session was to make a concise analysis of the food security problem using a cause - effect relationship. Such an approach helped to facilitate a systematic endeavour for defining holistic solutions to the identified problems.

The Core Problem

Inadequate utilization of available resources for sustainable socio-economic development in Karagwe district

Causes of the identified Core Problem:

• Inappropriate technologies in use

• Poor marketing systems

• Low incomes

• Too many activities left to women

• Low levels of literacy

The problems were further analyzed to understand their root causes. The following is a brief description of this analysis:

a) Inappropriate technologies in use in relation to farming technologies, water provision technologies, burden reduction technologies, soil cultivation and feeding practices and general environmental conservation techniques.

The following were identified as main causes for inappropriate technologies:-

• Poor delivery of extension services

• Insufficient capital and input supply

• Cultural bias towards women labour intensive technologies

• Low incomes

b) Poor marketing structures

• Post harvest food spoilage

• Lack of food industries

• Weak co-operative society

• Lack of transport facilities

• Poor roads

• Distant markets

• Weak local markets

• Alternative marketing channels unorganized

c) Low incomes

• Post harvest wastage of surplus production for crops with short shelf life

• poor marketing systems

• Limited knowledge on alternative income generating activities

• limited women access to productive resources

d) Too many activities left to women:

• customs , norms and taboos insensitive to gender needs

• gender division or roles and responsibilities biased against women

e) Low levels of literacy:

• High rate of primary school drop outs

• Poor enrollment

• Low quality of teaching

• Few secondary and higher institutions of learning

• No schools to train teachers

• Parents have no money to pay for school fees beyond primary.
  

Effects of inadequate utilization of resources for sustainable development :

• Increased women workload

• Low production

• Poor motivation to farmers

• Poor housing

• Poverty Sickness and Diseases

FADECO'S response to the above:

FADECO therefore decided to look at the problem of POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT as an intermediary to marketing. Here key issues are: processing, preservation, storage and marketing.

And so, which way to go ?

Industrialization is high tech, require high capital input, unaffordable by the poor man at the farm and not sustainable.

So what ?

Simple, appropriate technologies, which are cheap and affordable, may not be very efficient though.

Which one ?

Solar drying Technology.

Overall objectives of the project:

To promote the production, utilization and marketing of solar dried fruits / vegetables as an appropriate intervention and innovation towards food/nutrition security, household revenue and sustainable environmental conservation.

Methodology:

The project will adopt a participatory approach through

• Participatory Technology Development ( PTD),

• Technology dissemination & transfer

• Capacity building of selected target groups

• Market support..

What is Solar drying ?

SOLAR DRYING is a process in which the heat of the sun is used to dry produce so that such produce does not easily get spoiled or damaged and can be stored for a long time there after. After the produce is dried, it becomes easy to store it for a long time, to transport it from one place to another without fear of rotting and eventually to market it.

What are the benefits of Solar drying ?

• provide employment opportunities to women, youths, farmers, and the entire rural community.
  

• create sustainable income generating opportunities at low cost
  

• produce products to improve nutritional standards in diets
  

• 

  improve on the food security base in the households
  

• provide an alternative food preservation / processing technology to mitigate food wastage and minimize loses due to poor drying methods
  

• enhance foreign exchange earnings through export
  

• enhance household income

FADECO is convinced that this technology is very appropriate to the farming conditions not only in Kagera region, but also in other parts of the country. For effective dissemination of the technology, FADECO has plans to partner with interested NGOs, CBOs and CBIs in the region so that the innovation (already proved beneficial) could reach more farmers for the development of our households and national economy.

Want to know more

There are several organizations that have published literature on different appropriate technologies for food processing including fruit drying. FADECO would be happy to supply with full lists of reference materials which can help you to start a solar drying project. However, read ahead and find out more from fadeco's experiences.

The following link takes you to a paper presentation by Sekiku Joseph about technical and economic aspects of solar dryer construction presented during the first National Seminar on solar drying at a conference organized by TATEDO at the Commission for Science and Technology, Dar Es salaam, May 2002.

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