Nick Sellito and Lila Ram, who work with TOP, make regular trips to Rupununi to promote the use of solar driers among the local people and encourage production of dried fruit such as bananas and plantains. Much of these products would normally go to waste because of the distance of the villages from urban centres. The pair provide training in processing and drying fruit, quality control and business opportunities. They are encouraging the villagers, who depend heavily on subsistence farming and fishing, to dry the juicy fruit that grows with cashew nuts. Twelve solar driers have been built in Rupununi, and kits for another two have been distributed.
Companies offer to buy the dried fruit at a guaranteed price.
His institute is also seeking to promote solar-drying techniques among rice farmers. Currently, thousands of peasant growers dry rice paddies at the roadsides. This is not only hazardous for traffic and pedestrians, but results in poor quality. And farmers have to hire people to watch out for rain and guard against predators. Such developments could open up exports markets.