THE construction of a solar dryer to produce high-quality coffee in the hilly area has now been completed at the Coffee Technology Development Farm (Natyekan) in Ngaphe Township, which is under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.

The construction started in September 2021 under the Mekong-Lancang Project, was implemented by Snacks Mandalay Co., Ltd with K26 million from the 2021-2022 financial year’s allocated fund and completed in March 2022.

The solar dryer will provide coffee growers from 10 hilltop village-tracts in Ngaphe Township with a system to dry harvested high-quality crops in a short period. The hilly region has a humid climate, and in the past, crops used to become mouldy as they are dry at home.

The solar dryer can dry 100 pyi at a time, and it takes only a week to completely dry the coffee whereas drying at home takes about a month, said the in-charge of the coffee plantation.

In addition to coffee, conjac and chilli can also be dried by the solar dryer, he added.

Ma Yu (Ngaphe)/GNLM

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