Solar dryers to boost onion farming capacity

BULB onion growers in the Highlands region are confident that they can produce the volumes required by top-end markets with the help of solar dryers.
A bulb onion solar dryer project undertaken by the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) and the British American Tobacco (BAT) plans to build up the production capacity of onion growers and improve the quality of harvested onions to marketable standards.
Farmers thanked FPDA and BAT for solving some of their onion production challenges through the solar-smart technology.
Bulb onion farmer Umba Goiye from Gembogl, Chimbu said Gembogl was transforming through vegetable production through bulb onion “our mainstay crop”.
“We grow onions extensively on the slopes. We build homes, take care of our families and start businesses because of onions,” he said.
“With this solar dryer facility we can produce the volumes that markets need.”
The setback for fresh produce farmers in Nondugl is the bad road conditions.
In Western Highlands, bulb onion solar dryer recipient farmers said they would produce quality onions required by the market.
WHP onion officer Gibson Pena said people were excited because it was a new way of storing onions.