Africa-Press – Tanzania. CONVERTING fruits and vegetables into powdered form has now been made easy with the portable processing machine developed by Arusha based inventor, George Nyahende.
The fruit and vegetable powder -making machine can add value to farm products by taking them to at least the next stage of production.
Speaking at the ongoing 46th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), Mr Nyahende said the machine can process fruits, spices and vegetables a crucial tool for farmers and Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The machine is one of several inventions showcased at the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) pavilion at the DITF locally known as Saba Saba. Mr Nyahende is one of the early VETA graduates from 1994 who are showcasing their inventions.
“When onions are harvested, for instance, they are harvested in enormous quantities and occasionally decay. Now using this machine, farmers can dry the onions and grind them into powder form, which allows them to be preserved for a long time.
“I came up with this machine as I have seen farmers, especially in rural areas, suffer the loss of their crops,” he said. He said the machine can be used in rural areas where many parts are now connected with electricity through the Rural Energy Agency (REA) and uses single-phase electricity therefore farmers can buy the machine and use it anywhere.
According to him ,the machine can be bought at 1mil/- and has a one-year warranty, thereafter he can provide service whenever needed as all the raw materials used are sourced from the country.
Mr Nyahende said that the machine is made up of just three components—a cutter, a dehydrator, and a grinder—and that it doesn’t take up much space therefore a farmer can place it anywhere.
The inventor is also known for creating chicken incubators in a variety of designs, infant incubators and ventilators. He says that because he is familiar with the field, developing the machine was not difficult. Mr Nyahende has also brought a salt water welding machine with a focus on the rural market.
“I got this idea from my son who holds a Bachelor in Chemistry, he once visited my workshop and gave me the idea and decided to work on it, it has provided great results,” he noted.
In the 45th DITF, Mr Nyahende showcased an infant incubator and a ventilator that uses solar power, grid electricity or batteries to support the machines to work even in times of power outages or health centres that are not yet connected to electricity especially in rural areas.
The government increased its budget to fund innovations from 1bn/- in the last financial year to 5.5bn/- in 2022/2023 More than 200 innovators have been identified by the government whose projects have performed well in the National Science, Technology and Innovation Competition (Makisatu) in the past years where a total of 2.3bn/- has been spent in supporting such innovations.
Mr Nyahende also took part in last and this year’s MAKISATU
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