The office-bearers and employees of the Thottiyam Banana Growers Group have evolved a system of using the solar dryer to dry coconut shells for converting them into copra.
The group has been producing value-added banana products for the past three years and it has now started using the solar dryer for producing copra.
“This is the first time that we have taken up this experiment and it appears to be not only efficient but also hygienic,” said Manikutti Subramanian, managing director of the company, and Dheenadayalan, working partner.
The advantages of using solar dryer are many as compared to the conventional method of drying them in the open fields as is done in Pudkottai, Aranthangi, Pattukottai, and Vaduvur in the central region. The task is accomplished is three days as against one week earlier. The coconuts stay clean protected from flies and bacteria and hence it ensures hygienic drying of the coconut. “We have tried this on 50 kg of coconut shells which yielded 13 kg of copra,” says Mr. Subramanian.
Oil extraction was found to be about 5 per cent over the conventional method.
They say that the time taken for drying would be reduced from three days to two days during summer.
The group has decided to educate farmers about the advantages of using the solar dryer to dry the coconut, they said.
