Simple technologies to dry farm produce

The weather has become extremely erratic, making it harder for farmers to know when to plant, harvest and more importantly, dry their produce as they have done over the years.

It is currently raining heavily in some parts of the country at a time when farmers, in particular those growing maize, should be harvesting their produce.

The unpredictable weather makes the traditional drying of various farm produce under the sun harder.
Luckily, there are various technologies to help you dry your produce for a longer shelf-life, some which were unveiled during the recent University of Eldoret agribusiness fair.

These produce include fruits, grains, fish, tubers, oilseeds, meat and all-manner of vegetables.

Solar chimney dryer
This dryer has three main parts; a flatbed compartment that holds produce, which is covered with a transparent polythene sheet, an air inlet and a chimney.
Manoa Kipkosgei (left), a student at Kaiboi Technical Training Institute, who is behind the technology, says it is made of a black nylon sheet, wood and green plastic mesh that helps absorb heat. The mesh is made from plastic instead of metal to prevent corrosion and ensure the food is not contaminated.
At the bottom of the dryer is an inlet that allows air into the chamber. “To use the dryer, one first cleans produce such as cabbages, then chops them into smaller pieces and puts on the mesh. After two to four hours depending on the heat intensity, the hot air escapes through the chimney,” he said.
The machine can dry up to 200kg of vegetables at a go, prolonging the shelf-life to over a year, according to Kipkosgei. He says one can make the dryer at home or on the farm since the materials used such as timber, plastic mesh and polythene sheet are locally available.

Improved solar dryer
This is similar to the chimney dryer but it has a wooden cabinet where produce is placed, two chimneys to allow hot air to escape and a black surface, which absorbs heat.
Jeremiah Kiplagat from Kaiboi Technical Training Institute said that it can dry up to 50kg produce.
This dryer is only meant to dry fruits and vegetables, according to Kiplagat.

Solar panel dryer

The dryer consists of a solar panel and black coated asbestos to absorb and convert the long sun rays into short rays, according to Daniel Rop from the University of Eldoret
At the bottom it has a fan that helps in air circulation in the chamber. It also pushes out the cold air and in turn allows the heat to dry the produce placed in various trays inside the chamber. The solar panel enhances the hot air circulation in the drying chamber since it powers the (dc) fan, explained Rop.
“At the bottom, there is the drying chamber with 12 trays, each carrying 3kg of cereals, but one can also dry vegetables and fruits. Depending on the intensity of the sun, it takes four hours to dry cereals,” he said. The solar dryer doesn’t interfere with the nutritional elements of the produce.

Electric food dehydrator
The gadget uses electricity, has two drying chamber, each with heating elements and a fan for air circulation. It has sensors to control and regulate the temperature at 500c.
One places the produce in the chambers then switches on the power. It dries 30kg of produce such as vegetables and fruits per hour.
Daniel Rop from the University of Eldoret said they use the machine to make fortified porridge or ugali flour.
To make the flour, fruits and vegetables are dried in the machine, milled, then mixed with milled maize and sorghum flour to make a nutritious product.
He said the gadget, which is locally made, can also be used as an oven where the fan is switched off and temperatures raised to 3000C.
He noted that the equipment cushions farmers from post-harvest losses, especially when they have high supply of fruits and vegetables, which they can blend with flour and sell for more cash.

Modern solar dryer
What produce does this Kalro dryer dries, grains, vegetables and fruits?
It is composed of glass covering and black trays where one places agricultural produce. The sun rays heat the black trays and in turn dry the produce.
Peter Mwaura from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation (Kalro) noted the machine can dry various agricultural produce, from fruits to grains, vegetables.
The cover of the dryer is made of photo-selective shields that protect the produce from dust as well as preserve the colour and its nutrients.
Mwaura says the dryer helps the produce maintain its crucial nutrients unlike when a farmer dries their produce in the open field, where they are also prone to dirt.

Modern solar dryer
It is composed of a glass covering and black trays where one places agricultural produce. The sun’s rays heat the black trays and in turn dry the produce.
Peter Mwaura from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation (Kalro) noted the machine can dry various agricultural produce, from fruits to grains, fish and vegetables.
The cover of the dryer is made of photo-selective shields that protect the produce from dust and preserve the colour and its nutrients.
Mwaura said the dryer helps the produce maintain its crucial nutrients, unlike the case where a farmer dries their produce in the open field, where they are also prone to dirt.

Hygrometer
For any successful drying, one must have a moisture meter. Researchers from Kalro, Rongo University and University of Eldoret, have come up with a simple moisture meter.
Peter Kiprotich (left) from Kalro explained that one scoops a handful of grains or any produce, then places them inside a small polythene bag with the timer inside.
After 10 to 15 minutes, it will show if the produce has excess moisture or not. It goes for Sh250 in the market.
Prof Violet Mugalavai, a nutrition scientist at the University of Eldoret, said use of solar drying technologies is key to lowering post-harvest losses, which stand at 20 to 40 per cent.
She observed that drying of grains helps to curb aflatoxins that pose health risks to consumers.
“Research has also shown that consumer acceptability of dried fruits and vegetables ranks higher than the fresh one. The nutritional value of dried produce drops slightly and it is better to have them on the table in required amounts rather than reducing the servings when the prices go up,” notes the expert.
Prof Mugalavai adds: “Every household that has a kitchen garden should never allow post-harvest losses to occur when there are several technologies, a good number of them home-made to help prolong shelf-life of produce.”