Low Cost Post Harvest Technology
These are some of the technologies suitable for small farmers:
1. Solar Dryers: Drying is the cheapest mode of preservation of fruits, vegetables and other items like fish. Solar drying is practiced by mankind since times in memorable. This method of drying with solar energy is ideally practiced by many grape growers in Maharashtra to make Kishmish/ Manuka/Bedana from grapes.
2. Zero energy cold storage: Many farmers cultivate fruits and vegetables, which are seasonal in nature. Produce of all the farmers come to the market yard at one go. As a result prices fall. There is a good technology catching up. This is Zero energy cold storage. Everybody knows water becomes cool in an earthen pot. The water oozing out of the pot gets evaporated. While this evaporation occurs, water inside the pot becomes cold this principle is called as evaporate cooling. This principle is used for zero energy cold storage. Just make a double walled room. Keep sand between the outer and inner wall. Keep the sand wet by watering. And your produce kept inside the inner room will be preserved longer. Government is giving subsidy to popularize this concept.
3. Pickles: Pickling is one of the cheapest process of preservation of fruits and vegetables. Common salt and spices are used in conventional pickles. The process of pickling does not need energy. The process is so efficient that many people make pickles in their houses, which last even two to three years. And that too without any chemical preservatives. Pickled items are preserved because of fermentation.
4. Fruit juices: We can make juice from various fruits like Mango, Pineapple, Grapes, Lemons, tomatoes and many types of local specialties like Kokam, Jamun etc. Even Banana and Guava juice can be made. Banana, which is considered as poor man’s fruit in India is considered as rich man’s fancy in countries like Korea and Japan. We can make pulps out of he juices and use in off-season.
5. Preservations in salt solutions: Keeping in salt solutions can preserve vegetables. This process can be used to prolong the shelf life of various vegetables like cabbage, okra, spinach etc. In this process vegetables are kept in salt solutions and bottled. While using, just wash the vegetables in water to remove salt solutions. Shelf life will vary according to various factors but you can prolong shelf life at least by one month in this process. Calcutta University has done considerable research in this field.
6. Small-scale industry in farm: Farmers cannot get price for their produce because they have to depend upon middlemen for marketing. There is a solution to the problem. You can start manufacturing ketchups, sauces of various types and also Paste of Garlic, Ginger, Chilly etc. With a small investment in machinery and building, a unit can work profitably. The unit may give employment to others with a small investment of only 10 lakhs. It can be stated with more confidence that such low cost technologies are more successful because there is more involvement of entrepreneurs in their projects.
Read More-
- Breeds Of Cattle Point Wise Notes For Competitive Exam
- Chickpea Cultivation Point Wise Notes For Competitive exam
- Agriculture MCQ For Competitive Exam
- Plant Genetics Important Terms For Competitive Exam
- Agriculture MCQ For Competitive Exam
