Solar dryers installed at farms for drying fruits

Post-harvest crop losses to fall with this technology.

ISLAMABAD:

The Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) has installed around 90 solar dryers at different farms across the country for drying fruits and vegetables in a bid to reduce post-harvest losses as well as increase farmer incomes.

An ASF official said on Thursday that a number of fruits and vegetables were dried for value addition and preservation, which included chillies, dates, apricots and grapes. However, he said that the traditional methodology used for drying under the sun was not only time-consuming, taking six to eight days, but also badly affected quality of the produce due to exposure to dust, birds, rain, insects and climatic changes.

He said that the solar dryers were installed in Khairpur Mirs, Peshawar, Swat, Skardu, Gilgit and different areas of Balochistan. These will be mainly used for drying dates, apricots, grapes, bitter gourd and onions, besides other fruits and vegetables. The dryers, he said, were extremely cost-effective since they do not no need any electricity.

Furthermore, he said that the drying process was quick and could be completed in just two to three days while protecting the commodities from dust and harmful insects. As a result, farmers were getting better returns on their hygienically-dried produce, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th,  2011.