Family Alliance For Development And Cooperation, Tanzania

KARAGWE SOLAR FRUIT DRYING PROJECT

Producing Solar Dried Fruits and Vegetables for
Micro- and Small Scale Rural Enterprise Development

What is SOLAR DRYING?

It is a process familiar to all farmers in which the heat of the sun is used to dry produce so that such 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 for example, to store it for a long time ( of course under suitable conditions ), to transport it from one place to another without fear of rotting, etc.

Traditional solar drying has been used to crops like Coffee, Millet, Sorghum, Maize, Beans, Ground nuts, Cassava, Potatoes, etc. Perishable crops like Tomatoes, sweet bananas, pine apples, mangoes, jack fruits, etc. are being dried and equally stored in many parts of the world.

There are so many advantages of drying produce as explained above. But if the produce has to maintain the desired quality and standards, it must be given special treatment especially if it will be used by other people or sold to earn an income at market prices.

Traditional solar drying practices:

This involves spreading produce outside either on the ground, cement slab or grass mat to be dried by the sun's heat. This is very common in our rural villages and It is practiced by most farmers.

Disadvantages:

• Produce is simply laid in the sun and is not protected from rain, dust, foreign particles, pests, flies, animals and insects which contaminate and spoil it.

• Moulds and diseases can enter the produce as it lies on the grass mat or ground and destroy or contaminate it making it unsuitable for human consumption.
  

• Produce dried using traditional methods is liable to very high levels of wastage. Up to 60% of the crop can be lost to insects, birds and animals

• Produce dried in this way is not sufficiently of high quality/ standard for the market (local or international). It cannot therefore be sold at competitive prices. Often times, it is full of stones, dirty, dust, foreign particles and sand.

• Traditional methods of drying do not produce efficient drying. Temperatures in natural sunlight are not very hot and air flow is not stable. So drying takes a very long time.

• Perishable crops like fruits and vegetables cannot be successfully dried using traditional methods. That is why, when we talk of drying things like tomatoes, mangoes, paw paws, and pine apples, others think that is impossible or just looks like a fantasy. Our people cannot imagine how possible this can be.

• Traditional methods of drying seem easy but are not cost effective. A lot of labour is required since you have to put produce outside in the morning and take it in the evening. Drying takes many days. In times of rain, the business becomes even more boring.

2. Appropriate Technology Solar Drying:

This method tries to overcome the above disadvantages. It attempts to improve the traditional methods with modern appropriate technology which is efficient and cost effective. With this method, you can dry fruits, as well as other produce in a matter of 2 - 3 days rather than 2 - 3 weeks, and producing dried products of a very high quality and with no losses whatsoever.

3. WHAT CAN YOU DRY ?

All types of perishable produce can be dried so that they are available to be used in the drought season, or sold to external market. All crops can be successfully dried in the solar dryer but concentration has been put on those with short shelf life ( easily perishable).

• All fruits : Mangoes, bananas, pineapples, guava, jack fruits.
  

• Herbs and spices: chilies, ginger, Hibiscus flower, tea.
  

• Most vegetables suitable for drying: Tomatoes, onions, cabbages, muchicha, carrots
  

• Pulses and cereals: beans, coffee, grains, cassava, plantain

Call to Government, NGOs, CBOs, individuals and groups to get involved in promoting Solar drying projects:

Solar fruit drying is the most affordable post harvest agriculture innovation suitable to our rural farmers, which can help them mitigate post harvest losses and enhance their household food/nutrition security and revenues. On the other hand, the activity can provide numerous other benefits to the rural communities as follows:

• 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

• provide raw materials that could be further processed into marketable commodities

• provide new avenue for industrialization and national development
  

• enhance foreign exchange earnings through export
  

• enhance household income

Technical and economic considerations in the operations of solar dryers

a) To operate a dryer successfully and profitable requires dedication, patience and basic business skills. By local standards, dryers require considerable investment and training to operate.

b) A solar dryer is a food factory. All hygienic aspects necessary in any other such industry must be adhered to. There is also the element of profitability. A thorough cost benefit analysis of the drying operation has to be made before hand.

c) Availability of produce (fruit/ vegetables) to dry must be guaranteed. This goes along with knowing the weather patterns. Solar drying relies entirely on the sun's energy (although more designs have been made which can used alternative conventional energy sources).

d) Availability of labour. Usually it is anticipated that the dryer will be operated by the family members. In order to produce substantial quantities, it may be necessary to hire labour. So labour requirements have to be studied before hand.

About solar dryers:

A solar dryer is a food factory that relies on the sun as its energy source. The method requires the building of a structure, often of very simple construction, to enhance the effect of the suns's energy to dry fruit and vegetables quickly and cleanly. There are many designs of solar dryers which can be modified to suit local conditions.

For details on different dryer designs in place, contact us.

• Using such an enclosed structure affords protection against dust, insects and animals. The resulting dried foodstuffs can safely be stored for longer periods, have good nutritional value and qualities; and have an added cash value for producers.

• How are dried fruits used (disposal of dried fruits):

• The dried fruit can be sold locally, regionally and internationally depending upon quality standards. It can be eaten in a number of ways - on its own as a snack or as an ingredient for food dishes. Dried fruits have good nutritional qualities.

• Dried mangoes can be a rich source of Vitamin A which, if fed to children, can greatly reduce the likelihood of child blindness. Dried vegetables can also be produced in a similar way. Dried banana can be ground into flour that could be used as porridge or mixed with other high value foods (Soya beans, millet) and used as supplementing feeding to malnourished children.

Other Applications of the solar drying technology:

Honey Purification:

This is very simple. After you harvest your honey, get a clean container ( preferably a dish or bowl or bucket), tie a muslin cloth or a fine plastic mesh on the mouth, pour your honey on top, then put the whole assembly inside the dryer. Wait for about one - two hours. Honey would filter through slowly leaving behind on the top, wax and some other impurities including dead bees.

Wax extraction:

Mind you, the temperatures generated in the dryer are hot enough to melt the wax. Leave the container with combs in the dryer for the rest of the day, what you will get is pure white / yellow wax. FADECO has modified a wooden solar wax melter. Then you are off with your cake of wax ready for starting business in making candles, batik clothes, shoe polish or just sell it to cobblers and guitarists who know the importance of wax on their strings.

Drying of small fish ( Dagaa)

Solar dryers can be designed to produce very high quality dagaa. The present method employed by fishermen involves spreading the dagaa on the sand. The resulting product is dagaa full of sand, dirt, stones; making it really unsuitable for the market nor for human consumption.

Using solar dryers, one can improve the quality of dried sardines tremendously. Information about drying dagaa (sardines) is provided elsewhere on this site. Click here

CONCLUSION:

This is only a small introduction to the whole business of fruit solar drying. FADECO would like to spread this food processing technology throughout the district. It fulfills the economic advantages for our rural population and can be not only a source of income, self employment, but also a sure way to food security in the whole district.

There are many other applications of the solar dryer that are not treated here. These few methods as explained here are field trials by FADECO staff and the information given is true to FADECO's experiences here in Karagwe conditions. You are welcome to transfer this technology freely to your community at no cost at all and FADECO stands ready to provide any technical assistance as you may require.

It is our hope that, the information given here will be able to guide any one wishing to start or venture into the technologies explained above. We are however very sure that, careful and serious involvement in these technologies could enhance people's incomes and standards of living through improved access to income generating resources and food security.

For more information call on us at the following address:

FADECO Solar Fruit Drying Project
Kyanyamisa Station - Nyakasimbi
P. O. Box 223 Tel/Fax: 00 255 28 2223024
Karagwe- Kagera region
Tanzania.

Assistance readily available from the Project:

• trained personnel and extension staff

• extension materials, handbooks, guidelines

• different dryer designs and model

• expertise on how to set up a solar drying business

• Marketing (local and export) support of Solar Dried Fruits and vegetables

• Business Skills development and advisory services

• Question and answer services on food processing

• Resources and information centre

• Publications on food processing technologies