Solar Dryers

May 5, 2009

The traditional method of drying fruit on roof tops is not hygienic and the resulting product can be contaminated by molds and other pests. Assistance in the processing of agricultural products is among the priorities of the Czech Reconstruction Provincial Team as well as the Provincial Development Plan (PDP).

Part of the PDP project was to acquire 20 solar dryers for farming cooperatives in individual districts. Under the pilot project, the farmer will have a chance to test out in the course of a season new modern solar dryers with a work surface of 2 square meters per 20 kg of fruit or vegetable. Next year there is a possibility for a follow-up project of purchasing higher productivity dryers with the work surface of 40 square meters per 500 kg of fruit.

The dryers were bought from Afghan Bedmoschk Solar Center e.V., in Kabul, presently the only producer of solar dryers in Afghanistan. The organization also provided for the transport, installation and initial training course for users.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality and hygiene of dry fruit production in the province. It should extend durability and increase the nutritional and market value of the resulting product, thus allowing the local farmers to see the benefits of using modern technology for the processing of agricultural products.  The proposed solar dryer model is based on a tunnel dryer developed by the University of Hohenheim in Germany. It has been specifically modified for use in the conditions of central Afghanistan and tested out over the last three years in the neighboring provinces of Wardak and Kabul.