Partners: 

Fruits of the Nile (U) Ltd, Uganda
Kwanda Agricultural Research Institute, Uganda
Tropical Wholefoods, UK

Problem:

Overproduction of fruits and vegetables can lead to waste, depressed prices and lower returns to farmers.  Processing is seen as a means of preserving product quality and providing opportunities for value addition and income from marketing produce in local, regional and international markets.  Although there are several methods of preservation e.g. canning and freezing, simple solar drying technologies are the most appropriate for application in rural farming areas which have poor infrastructure and limited technical, financial and management resources.  However, for processing technology to provide sustainable returns requires careful development and placement of the appropriate technology in a fully integrated value chain stretching from producer to consumer.  A particular feature of success is the development of a nodal organisation, such as a primary marketing organisation (PMO) which can support and co-ordinate the value chain, often playing a key role in technology innovation and adoption, and market penetration.

Achievements:

The key for success of this project was the creation of an innovation platform for partnerships between:

• small-scale farmers/processors to provide quality raw materials and to make use of solar drying technologies to produce good quality dried fruits and vegetables;
  
  
• private sector, including primary marketing organisations and importers such as Fruits of the Nile and Tropical Wholefoods, to take the lead and develop and maintain a commercially viable value chain that provides sustainable returns for all stakeholders;
  
  
• service providers e.g. the Natural Resources Institute to support innovation in processing and technology transfer, and NGOs for group development.

This platform produced partnerships which were instrumental in producing the following range of outputs:

• commercially viable, integrated and long lasting value chains producing and marketing dried fruits and vegetables for local and international markets that continue to give returns for all participants;
  
  
• viable small and medium enterprises;
  
  
• locally-adapted and verified solar drying technologies;
  
  
• a range of dissemination material including a series of four booklets on:
  
  1. Assessing opportunities for a fruit drying business – explaining the more important factors to set up a solar drying operation.
  2. Dryer construction – illustrates detailed construction of a solar dryer suitable for drying a range of raw materials.
  3. Processing aspects – describes important aspects of processing and ways to produce good quality.
  4. Business profitability – examines key factors in running profitably a solar drying business.