The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization
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Emily Tanui (Left) and Pascaline Tuitoek of Kaiboi Technical Training Institute (KTTI) in Nandi County demonstrate how a dryer works. The dryer is an innovation of the institute in partnership with University of Eldoret (UOE). The dryer seeks to address the challenge of post harvest losses. The innovation conserves both cereals and horticultural produce after harvesting for use in future or to be sold in the market when there is demand and better produce prices. 15-05-2019. [Kevin Tunoi, Standard]
An innovation designed to preserve agricultural produce will reduce the post-harvest losses of small scale farmers and traders.
Kaiboi Technical Training Institute (KTTI) in partnership with University of Eldoret (UOE) are currently working on a solution to address loss of produce during seasons of abundance.
The innovation conserves both cereals and horticultural produce after harvesting for future consumption or for market during periods of high demand hence fetching better prices. Using the technology, the produce in excess supply is dried without changing its pigmentation and taste. Some are added value by grinding into flour and packaged for future use.
The institution in Nandi, a centre of excellence for agricultural innovations is the brain child of their recently patented inventions among others, a simple banana ripening box and a modern chicken coop. The ripening box offers solutions that protect consumers from use of chemicals.
The technique targets small scale farmers in Kerio Valley where residents struggle with the challenge of storage of vegetables including cabbage, kales, indigenous varieties and fruits among them mangoes, pawpaws, bananas and melons.
Mr Charles Koech, the Principal KTTI said the institution is supporting students to realise their potentials through new technologies. Through its extended services to the farming community, KTTI has enabled trainers and learners to identify gaps and make new innovations, most of which, have become a boost to the agriculture sector. He said several projects unveiled through TIVET have been patented.
Jeremiah Kiplagat, the Research and Development coordinator at KTTI said the latest inventions of solar driers will assist horticultural farmers preserve their highly perishable produce during glut occasioned by high production. “Produce can last for long periods when preserved and packaged using our invention. Those packaged in flour form can be transported regardless of the state of roads unlike when the horticultural produce are in their natural form.”
Jeremiah Kiplagat of Kaiboi Technical Training Institute (KTTI) in Nandi County demonstrate how a dryer works. [Kevin Tunoi, Standard]
Design
He explained that the innovation uses simple materials – a black sheet of cloth that absorbs heat from the sun rays, enmeshed trays that hold sliced vegetables or fruits in an enclosed drier, and a transparent polythene material that acts as a cover.
“They are designed in three forms – a Solar Chimney drier, a Dismountable Solar drier and a Solar drier that are made depending on the scale of need,” explained Kiplagat.
He explained that a Solar Chimney drier is more bulk and can be installed in a farm. It has a long column that holds the meshed trays enclosed between the black material and the transparent polythene.
The smaller solar drier and dis-mountable solar drier work in the same way, differng only in portability terms.
With intense heat from sun rays, sliced vegetables or fruits placed in the enclosed trays lose moisture content without losing their colour and flavour. Moisture turns warmer and is lost through the open chimney as air circulates in the innovation.
Cost
He explained that the drier which costs about Sh10,000 to be installed in a farm can dry over 200kgs of produce per day. It can also be used to dry grains but on a small scale.
A dis-mountable solar drier costs Sh6,000 while the Solar drier costs Sh3,000, with the cost being lower in mass production.
“The innovations only extract moisture from the vegetables and fruits without affecting the original flavour of the products when consumed. They meet international accepted standards and are of economic value to produce,” he said.
He added: “Dried vegetables or fruit products can be added more value by being turned into flour and used per choice of consumers – either for backing or being added as a flavour to other food.”
Kiplagat added that plans are underway to patent the inventions as KTTI and UOE products.
Emily Tanui, a supervisor agricultural projects said noted that agricultural producers incur huge losses during periods of high supply due to low prices offered and lack of storage that lead to wastage.
“With the driers, farmers can preserve their produce and package them for sale during periods of high demand to generate better income,” said Tanui.
Bascaline Tuitoek, also a supervisor, agricultural projects said the invention is part of skill development for KTTI students to be self-reliant after their courses in the technical field.
“This is part of training to expand skills and develop new ideas among students. It will assist them in self-employment and job creation once they are through with their studies,” she said.
Erick Taragon, a lecturer in the department of Mechanical engineering said the institution is in the advanced stage of developing a mill that can crush preserved fruits and vegetables into various texture for packaging.
The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization
with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations,
television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group
is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in
matters of national and international interest.
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