Warehouses in the provincial territories are either absolutely missing or terribly insufficient. Under such conditions the farmers are constrained to sell their produce post harvest period at the current market costs which will undoubtedly be lower than otherwise. Such poor sales deny our farmers of what they genuinely deserved. Not to forget the wastage of the produce that it leads to.

The Parse Committee recently evaluated the post-gather losses at 9.3 percent of which about 6.6 percent happened because of poor warehousing/storage conditions alone. As indicated by an ongoing research, 20-30% of 74 million tons of fruits and about 143 tons of vegetables each year in India are squandered because of post-harvest blunders and absence of storerooms. Because of this, the shelf-life of products is decreased and the healthy benefits are lost.

Adding to this, lack of electricity or unreliable electrical supply makes the post harvesting even more difficult and unaffordable.

Solution:

In a country like India where poverty, lack of nutrients in a lean season, post-harvest losses, and gender inequality still prevails in the agricultural sector, it is important to address the issues with a promising approach and technology. Hence, there is a requirement of electricity-free technology that can easily convert food surplus into processed food creating an economically aligned community. It would not only ensure food security but will also reduce the malnutritioned population of India.

What is Solar Conduction Dryer?

Solar Conduction Dryer (SCD) is a power free solar charged food dehydrator that lessens moisture content in agro-produce so farmers can protect their harvest as long as 1 year without utilizing any synthetic compounds. SCD enables farmers to process and safeguard natural products, vegetables, flavors, nutritious vegetables beans-millets, fish, meat into dry form. These items are a fundamental piece of our nourishment and sustenance security. It utilizes a particular framework without power that is ideally produced for individual farmers in rural sector. It gives a standout amongst the best estimated drying proficiency that is 25%, where rest of the solar charged dryers gives the productivity of 10-15%.

Benefits for Farmers

By selection of this innovate technology, local agriculturalists will almost certainly process the surplus harvest, making it conceivable for them to store and sell the produce, which would otherwise be squandered.

The solar conduction dryer takes charge of the drying procedure with the goal that high caliber dried items can be sold in far off sectors. This creates new business opportunities for small-scale agriculturists in remote zones. The activity will likewise improve the nourishment and sustenance security for rural farmers during the monsoon season, which lasts for a little while. The activity will likewise make a considerable commitment to reasonable earnings for at least 500 cultivating families, making them self-sufficient where they can essentially increase their family earnings and sustenance levels.

With a substantial reduction in post-harvest losses, farmers can considerably increase their benefits and by making new market openings both inside and outside the nation, it will make another business opportunity for all of them.

Final Verdict:

What Indian agriculturists require, at present, is a minimal effort food protection framework that can work without power supply. Solar Conduction Dryer is their ‘eco-friendly and innovative’ answer to their issues.

[Authored by Ms. Nidhi Pant(Co-founder, Science for Society-S4S Technologies)