With this solar dryer, your fish stays fresh for up to one year
A group of women feel how the solar-wind dryer works. Other than fish, the dryer can also be used for drying other farm produces such as vegetables. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The dryer purely relies on green energy as it uses solar or wind.
- The gadget has a cabinet where the fish is placed.
- The system allows for shorter drying period, low moisture content in the fish thus guaranteeing a longer shelf-life and high quality fish free of contamination.
- Other than at the Coast, the dryers have been installed around Lake Turkana.
A solar-wind dryer, which fishermen and traders in Vanga and Kipini at the Coast, are using to dry their catch was among innovations that stood out at the recently held conference on post-harvest losses in Nairobi.
Dr Peter Odote, a researcher at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, who is behind the innovation, said the machine dries all kinds of fish
The dryer purely relies on green energy as it uses solar or wind. The gadget has a cabinet where the fish is placed.
“It also has a collector where all the heat is absorbed then a fan powered by the solar passes the hot air over the fish in the cabinet drying it. But in the process, hot air causes moisture over the fish so we have an exit fan which pulls out the air to allow complete drying,” he explained, adding hot, dry and moving air is good for drying.
The system allows for shorter drying period, low moisture content in the fish thus guaranteeing a longer shelf-life and high quality fish free of contamination.
Before introducing the solar dryer on the gadget a few years ago, the researcher was using rack dryers.
SIMPLE TECHNOLOGIES
“The racks were made of wood, and nylon tops instead of wire-mesh to avoid rusting. On the side of the rack were ultraviolet stabilised polythene so that if it rains one covers the fish. Unfortunately, the racks were predisposed to insect infestation which compromises the quality of the fish,” said Odote, noting the dryer extends the fish shelf-life from six to 12 months.
Dr Peter Odote, a researcher at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute is behind the creation of the innovative dryer. PHOTO | COURTESY
Odote said he is working on lowering the cost of the solar tunnel dryer since the only exotic thing about it are the solar panels.
“The price averages Sh60,000 for 4 metres by 2 metres dryer. The dryers can also be used for drying other farm produces such as vegetables,” the expert said.
Other than at the Coast, the dryers have been installed around Lake Turkana.
Dr Lusike Wasilwa, Head of Crop Systems at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, noted that farmers do not necessarily need high-end technology such as refrigeration because most of them cannot afford but simple technologies such as greenhouse dryers and solar dryers are better because of low running costs,” she said.
