Solar-powered dryers are gaining traction in Africa’s agriculture sector, as more farmers are looking for longer lasting crop yields in a bid to address food security and long-term profitability.
At the recently held Nakuru Agricultural Society of Kenya Show 2023 exhibition, the Everton University and the Mukebo Self-Help Group partnership showcased vegetables produced with the help of a solar dryer they had set up. plantain slicer
This specific solar dryer is a greenhouse-like structure that uses solar energy to dry farm produce which is later packed and stored for future use or sale.
Solar dryers are made of ultraviolet-treated poly sheets, the same ones used in the manufacture of greenhouses, while raised shelves inside the units are made of wood.
“Poly sheets prevent harmful rays from entering the solar drier,” Senior Technologist at the university’s Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soil Sciences Dr Tom Owino told the Kenyan News Agency.
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He said the nets are good for curing farm produce as they facilitate circulation of fresh air which is essential for drying crops.
“Our farmers are still suffering from huge post-harvest losses even after all the efforts done by experts in building capacity due to the lack of available, low cost solar drying technologies and infrastructure to support good manufacturing practices,” Owino said.
He said almost 90% of farmers in Kenya depend on rain to grow their crops which negatively affects supply.
Owino said farm products are in abundance during the rainy season which usually leads to low prices. During dryer spells, the opposite occurs.
“This is brought about by the majority of farmers depending heavily on rain to grow their crops. Our new technology tries to combat this menace as well as turn small-scale farming into agribusinesses,” he said.
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Motivated by the growing demand for vegetables during the dry season, Samuel Ooko and his team at the Mukebo Self-Help Group decided to explore solar drying as a sustainable solution.
“With the driers, farmers can preserve their produce and package them for sale during periods of high demand to generate better income,” said Ooko.
“This is a wealth-creating innovation which farmers should embrace in order to rise above poverty as well as create jobs.”
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Earlier this year, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre reported that the introduction of solar powered dryers has “had a significant positive impact on the production and preservation” of Togo’s vital peanut crop.
The Centre said the dryers are equipped with a ventilation system and a power kit that includes solar panels and a battery so they can operate during periods of reduced sunlight.
“They have a capacity of 12 kilograms and can complete a drying cycle in as little as two hours, which is about one quarter of the time a manual drying cycle takes.”
Depending on the solar exposure, cooperatives can perform three or four cycles in a day.
In recent years, Farm Africa and the North East Chilli Producers Association (NECPA) in Uganda looked to build a more competitive and profitable chilli value chain.
Farmers were losing out due to the lack of proper post-harvest techniques and impeded Uganda’s ability to fully participate in international fruit and vegetable markets.
A major part of this plan was to use solar dryers. Farm Africa said solar drying is “one of the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable renewable energy technologies to enable the preservation of agricultural products.”
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According to the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network, the technology provides several socio-economic benefits.
“One of the main issues facing developing countries today is the issue of food security. The solar food dryer can improve food security through allowing the longer storage of food after drying compared to food that hasn’t been dried.”
It said the solar dryer can save fuel and electricity when it replaces dryer variations that require an external energy source in the form of electricity or fossil fuel.
“In addition solar food dryers cut drying times in comparison to sun drying. While fossil fuel or electrically powered dryers might provide certain benefits (more consistent air flow and higher temperatures), the financial barriers that these technologies provide might be too high for marginal farmers.”
The UN body points out that fruits, vegetables and meat dried in a solar dryer are better in quality and hygiene compared to fruits, vegetables and meat dried in sun drying conditions.
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