Difference between revisions of "Tomato Processing by Solar Energy"

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Economic development in remote rural areas in Ethiopia can be enhanced by value adding on farmers’ agricultural raw products. Small scale agro processing must lead to consumable end products, which are food safe, conservable, transportable and marketable. The following case presents an example of how solar energy can support micro and small tomato processing enterprises in Ethiopia. This article is a fact sheet, for more details please see the article [[Business Plan for Solar Processing of Tomatoes|Business Plan for Solar Processing of Tomatoes]].
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Economic development in remote rural areas in Ethiopia can be enhanced by value adding on farmers’ agricultural raw products. Small scale agro processing must lead to consumable end products, which are food safe, conservable, transportable and marketable. The following case presents an example of how <a href="https://energypedia.info/wiki/Solar_Energy">solar energy</a><br>
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can support micro and small tomato processing enterprises in Ethiopia. This article is a fact sheet, for more details please see the article [[Business Plan for Solar Processing of Tomatoes|Business Plan for Solar Processing of Tomatoes]].
  
 
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Revision as of 12:16, 4 December 2014

Economic development in remote rural areas in Ethiopia can be enhanced by value adding on farmers’ agricultural raw products. Small scale agro processing must lead to consumable end products, which are food safe, conservable, transportable and marketable. The following case presents an example of how <a href="https://energypedia.info/wiki/Solar_Energy">solar energy</a>
can support micro and small tomato processing enterprises in Ethiopia. This article is a fact sheet, for more details please see the article Business Plan for Solar Processing of Tomatoes.

Project

TAMPA (Tigray Agricultural Marketing Promotion Agency) started in April 2014 in collaboration with the Sustainable Land Management Program (GIZ SLMP) the promotion of micro and small enterprises for tomato processing using renewable energy. The target groups are cooperatives of tomato farmers producing in remote areas without access to electrical power (2014: only 14% of the Ethiopian population has access to grid power, see also Ethiopia Energy Situation).

Many agro processing steps need both thermic energy (heat) and electrical energy (power), both will be obtained from the sunlight. In Tigray, the availability of solar power is reliable and regular in the dry season. The tomato season starts around end of November and ends in the month of June. Then, the processing period will last for 7 months = 210 days. This climate smart technology helps to reduce post-harvest losses and enhances the tomato farmers to add value on their raw products.

The end products are tomato paste/sauce, tomato juice, dried tomatoes and tomato powder. These are conservable without cooling (paste 6 months, juice 1 month, dried tomatoes/powder up to 1 year) and allow the producers to receive better prices for their commercial products:

  • 3,150 kg of fresh tomatoes are processed to 1,260 kg long conservable tomato paste, packed into 3,150 bags of each 200 gram plus 1,260 bags of 500g
  • 1,050 kg of fresh tomatoes are processed to 735 liter of tomato juice, packed in 1,470 bottles (‘Highland’) of each 0.5 liters
  • 5,000 kg of fresh tomatoes will be sun-dried to 675 kg dried tomato slices, and 75 kg tomato powder, packed into vacuum-sealed polyethylene bags

Please note: The solar system is all year around available and can be used for other income generating activities, like television, video, lighting, battery charging, water cooking, sterilization, other food processing, office services like scan/print/internet/email…

Technology

A room of 16 m2 should be sufficient as processing site. It will be built by the farmers’ men power contribution, stones are available onsite and construction material like cement, metal sheets for the roof and a metal door/window as well as tiles will be supplied by the GIZ SLM Program.

The solar panel will be placed on a metal stand, which allows daily cleaning to maintain its power for battery charging and processing work. Also, the stand allows turning around of the panel, by adjusting the direction, an optimal output from the sunlight may be obtained in case of need.

Special attention will be given to train the processing team in technical aspects of the photovoltaic power system. This includes the handling of the precious inverter, the regular cleaning of the panel and the maintenance of the acid batteries.

Solar reflector used for tomato processing © TAMPA
Processing of tomatoes in Tembien © TAMPA
Tomato paste, sterile packed into PET-bags © TAMPA
Solar reflector used for tomato processing © TAMPA
Processing of tomatoes in Tembien © TAMPA
Tomato paste sterile packed into PET-bags © TAMPA



Quantified Tomato Value Chain

The quantified tomato processing value chain design (liquid and dry):

Quantified tomato processing value chain design (liquid and dry)



Financial Plan

Costs

   Fix costs (= overheads) = 83,943 birr
+ Variable costs          = 50,877 birr       

Total costs = 134,820 birr


Annual turnover

Liquid tomato products:
1,260 bags of paste, 500 g x 25.0 birr = 31,500 birr
3,150 bags of paste, 200 g x 12.0 birr = 37,800 birr
1,470 bottles of juice, 0.5l x 12.0 birr = 17,640 birr
Dry tomato products:
3,360 bags of slices, 200 g x 10.5 birr = 35,280 birr
2,520 bags of powder, 30 g x 5.0 birr = 12,600 birr 

Total turnover = 134,820 birr




Investment costs and depreciation

Description
Purchase prize (ETB)per unit
Purchase prize (ETB)total
Supplier
Depreciation years
Depreciation (ETB)/a
2 solar panels, 90 Wp
6,000
12,000
LYDETCO 0911207283
20
600
1 regulator, 12 V/20A
2,500
2,500
LYDETCO 0911207283
10
250
2 lorry batteries, 12 V/120 Ah
4,000
8,000
Mekele shops
4
2,000
1 metal stand for solar panels
2,500
2,500
Sami metal shop Mekele
20
125
1 wooden/metal box for batteries (60x70x40cm), with metal cover
1,600
1,600
Carpenter Mekele
10
160
Cables, fuses, switches, sockets
1,000
1,000
Mekele shops
5
200
1 Inverter, sine 500 W, with switch/fuse
20,000
20,000
LYDETCO 0911207283
5
4,000
4 Solar cookers, parabolic dish, SK 14
4,500
18,000
Bereket Solar Addis Abeba (0911 225131)
20
900
1 Mixer, 220 V, 200 – 400 W
1,000
1,000
Mekele shops
1
1,000
1 Sealing machine, twin sealing, 220V, 65W
8,300
8,300
Germany / TAMPA
10
830
1 Balance, digital, 0 – 5000g
500
500
Addis Abeba shops
2
250
1 Balance, analog, 20kg
500
500
Mekele market & shops
5
100
1 Balance, analog, 20kg
500
500
Mekele market & shops
5
100
1 Water container with water tap and metal stand, 20 liters for tomato washing
2,000
2,000
Mekele metal workshops
10
200
Sieves, spoons, washing pans, baskets
1,000
1,000
Mekele market
2
500
1 Sterilization kettle, 20 liter
1,500
1,500
Mekele market & shops
10
150
1 Sterilization thermometer (110°Celsius)
300
300
Mekele market & shops
3
100
1 Working table, 3m x 1m
2,000
2,000
Mekele carpenter
3
100
1 solar dryer, 5m x 2m
15,000
15,000
Mekele metal workshops
10
1,500
Total (ETB)

97,700


13,065

For more details on the business plan, please see this article.




Further Information