TaTEDO-SESO through the Government of Tanzania with EU Supported Programme Improved Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers through Solar Drying in Five Districts of the Pwani Region.

A newly installed solar dryer in the Mkuranga district enhances sustainable food preservation and storage.

Preservation of agricultural produce is one of the central problems faced by small-scale farmers in the Pwani Region, Tanzania. Most frequently, crops in the markets spoiled; some also remain unharvested, left in the fields due to inadequate market and preservation capacity. Poor infrastructure also increases the time to get crops to markets and often results in crops being damaged. At the end of the growing season, the supply of produce diminishes until the next harvest.

Solar dryers allow small-scale farmers to transform their harvests into storable, tradable goods, which they can sell during the off-season at higher prices.  The smallholder farmers through the Government of Tanzania Coordinated and EU-supported Project on Integrated Sustainable Charcoal Value Chain Promotion in Tanzania, received capacity-building training in five districts of the Pwani Region.  The training aimed to provide knowledge on how to avoid loss and wastage of crops, by developing and promoting  Commercial Solar Drying.  The solar drying can reduce the wastage of harvested surplus, allow storage for food shortages, and in some cases facilitate export to high-value markets.

The lifespan of these solar dryers may range from 8-10 years. The dryer is made up of Visqueene Polyethylene plastics. Sometimes, the polyethylene plastic can puncture with sharp edges or be damaged by the sun after some time, which demands repair.   TaTEDO-SESO has trained carpenters to maintain the solar dryers and smallholder farmers in areas installed with those dryers to use the dryer and dried products.  Short capacity building trainings were conducted on how to operate and maintain the solar dryers.

The energy input needed in a solar dryer is less than what is needed for freezing or canning. Solar drying prevents food from decaying and spoiling, which would have resulted in methane release into the atmosphere.

Support services provided to local entrepreneurs, including capacity-building through training and awareness, have contributed to their success.  Foodstuffs such as cassava, mushrooms, vegetables, and fruits are dried through the installed solar dryers.   Awareness-raising, product demonstrations, and market promotion of dried products through exhibitions, radio, newsletters, and other media are required to popularize and create demand for solar-dried products.