How Low-Cost Solar Dryers Are Solving India's Food Wastage
Low-Cost Solar Dryers to Boost Food Waste Farmers' Income
India is one of the largest food producers in the world. But the sad reality is that a considerable portion of this gets wasted, often without even leaving the farms.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) report, nearly 40% of the food produced in India is wasted every year. This results in a loss of Rs 92,000 crore annually.
Food loss crisis in India
One of the biggest reasons for this alarming agricultural wastage is the lack of infrastructure to extend the shelf life of highly perishable fruits and vegetables.
The deficiency of cold chain warehouses is a major challenge for farmers. Such preservation facilities help keep horticultural produce fresh for longer. Without them, farmers have to sell their crops quickly. Often, they are forced to accept very low prices.
At times, prices for agricultural products are so low that farmers cannot even cover their harvest expenses. They earn nothing for months of hard work, let alone make a profit.
Farmers can break free from this cycle by taking control of their harvest. Deciding when to sell and setting their own prices can make a big difference.
This is easier said than done. Most farmers have only a few acres of land and limited resources. They cannot store their produce for long periods. They also lack the means to turn them into value-added products.
How Can we Prevent Food Wastage With Mindful Practices?
This is what Varun Raheja is hoping to change with his affordable solar dryers. They can dehydrate fruits and vegetables and thereby extend their shelf life.
He is the Co-founder of Indore-based Raheja Solar Food Processing Private Limited (RSFP). The establishment has made its presence felt across India since its inception in 2018.
"I was always passionate about nature and waste management. And during my engineering days, I realized that this was my calling. I used to feel disheartened to see farmers who invested their money and months of effort into producing the fruits and vegetables, throwing them away. So, I thought about doing something to help them and the environment by reducing waste. After three years of research and a lot of projects, we figured out that solar-based dryers are the best solution," Raheja told Indiatimes.
How Do Solar Dryers Preserve Flavor and Nutrients Naturally?
Solar-based food dryers are not new. They have been around for a while and work by collecting energy from the sun. These dryers are useful in removing moisture from agricultural products like fruits and vegetables. Dehydration may take up to two days, based on the commodity that is being processed.
Easy to assemble and affordable
What Raheja Solar did differently from others was to make the dryers modular, easy to assemble, and have low maintenance.
"We designed our solar dryers while working with the farmers and taking feedback from them at every step. We also worked with Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan, who has decades of experience in this field. Our DIY-style foldable solar dryers can be easily transported anywhere and assembled by the farmers themselves," Raheja said.
Lack of awareness among farmers
While the journey so far has been successful, Raheja has positively impacted the lives of thousands of farmers. He admits that it wasn't an easy task.
"There is still a lack of awareness among the agricultural producers that they can process their crop at the farm level itself. The global market for dry food products is around Rs 2 lakh crore and our farmers are losing Rs 90,000 crore annually. What we learned so far is that it is nearly impossible to convince a farmer to invest more in a machine that could potentially increase their income. So, we work with ground-level organizations, NGOs, SHGs village level entrepreneurs and other impact groups who support these farmers," he explained.
The dry products market has been growing, and more fruits and vegetables are being processed every year. Acknowledging this, Raheja said that it will take a much larger effort by various stakeholders to end the issue of food wastage in India.
