A group, Developmental Association for Renewable Energy in Nigeria (DARE), has inaugurated a solar powered dryer panel to overcome post-harvest losses.
The panel was inaugurated at Sabongarin Ba’awa in Makarfi Local Government, Kaduna State.
Yahaya Ahmed , the Director of the group, said the move was to support local farmers with new scientific techniques and technology to reduce farm produce losses due to lack of processing machines in rural area.
“We introduced the solar powered dryer to the rural farmers through a revolving fund.
“Our target is to reduce the quantum of food crops being damaged and the attendant financial losses incurred by farmers.
“The dryer has an efficacy period of 25 years and farmers can use it to dry all their farm produce in both rainy and dry seasons.
“Farm produce such as tomatoes, pepper, ginger, mangoes, and so can be dried within few hours using the machine.”
According to him, the dryer also helps to prevent dust and contamination, and facilitate the retention of the natural taste of the food items.
Ahmed described the intervention as “new and attractive”, assuring that it would enhance productivity and the income of rural farmers.
“It opens a new door to the process of overcoming the challenges of post-harvest losses in Nigeria,” he added.
Mohammed Isa, the District Head of Sabongarin Ba’awa, expressed happiness over the gesture and pledged that farmers in the area would exploit its benefits to the fullest.
