In India, post-harvest losses are estimated to account for about 40 % of whole agricultural produce, resulting in an financial lack of roughly $14 billion yearly.
At Maharashtra-based model Moomba, important efforts are being made by making a marketplace for produce that might sometimes go to waste. Central to this initiative is the revolutionary use of solar-powered dehydration expertise, which transforms discarded produce into high-quality, shelf-stable meals substances. This additionally helps farmers generate extra earnings.
“By changing unsellable produce into marketable merchandise, we empower over 3,500 girls farmers who are actually incomes an extra earnings of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh yearly. This earnings increase is essential in breaking the debt cycle that traps many farmers, offering them with the monetary stability wanted to reinvest of their farms and enhance their livelihoods,” shares Vaibhav Tidke, CEO and co-founder of S4S Applied sciences, an agricultural startup that launched its model Moomba.
As of now, Moomba has efficiently prevented 2 lakh tonnes of meals from being wasted, considerably enhancing meals safety in communities.
By utilizing renewable power for meals processing, the initiative reduces greenhouse fuel emissions and promotes environmentally sustainable farming practices. “This method has helped mitigate 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, making farming extra resilient to unpredictable climate patterns and excessive local weather occasions,” he says.
Moreover, Moomba can be fostering better financial independence and selling gender equality by empowering girls farmers with the talents and data to function solar-powered expertise and handle their companies.
Including worth to discarded crop utilizing photo voltaic power
In 2019, Vaibhav Tidke, Swapnil Kokate, Tushar Gaware, Nidhi Pant, Ashwin Pawade, Ganesh Bhere, and Shital Somani co-founded S4S Applied sciences. Rooted in a shared imaginative and prescient, the seven mates from farming background got here collectively to make use of their scientific data and make a distinction within the lives of smallholder farmers.
Sharing his perception on the submit harvest losses, Vaibhav says, “This happens as a consequence of numerous components akin to insufficient storage amenities, poor infrastructure, inefficient provide chains and lack of correct processing expertise. It results in financial loss as with lowered earnings from their crops, many small farmers are compelled to tackle extra debt. This results in a vicious cycle of poverty and indebtedness.”
Striving to work on options, Moomba procures broken and lower-grade crops primarily from smallholder farmers on the farmgate. The startup employs its patented Photo voltaic Conduction Dryer (SCD) expertise. It harnesses the solar warmth to take away moisture from meals gadgets – fruits, greens, grains and spices – successfully dehydrating them.
The SCD is supplied with a clear plastic cowl that enables daylight to penetrate and be absorbed by black-coated drying trays. The black food-grade coating maximises photo voltaic radiation absorption, heating the floor the place the produce is positioned.
The absorbed photo voltaic power is then transferred by conduction to the produce, guaranteeing uniform and environment friendly dehydration. It’s designed to be user-friendly, requiring minimal coaching, which empowers girls farmers to function it independently.
“This course of extends the shelf lifetime of the produce, reworking perishable crops into high-quality, shelf-stable meals substances with out counting on electrical energy or fossil fuels. Our expertise exemplifies how easy, renewable power options can drive financial independence and resilience in rural communities and assist farmers safe a greater future for themselves and their households,” says Vaibhav.
Bringing monetary stability to three,500 girls
At Moomba, all kinds of value-added merchandise are being made utilizing solar-powered expertise. These embody dehydrated fruit and veggies akin to potatoes, inexperienced chilli, inexperienced peas, garlic, onion, corn, ginger, tomato, spinach and pumpkin, that are processed into numerous kinds like entire, chopped, minced, granules, powder, kibbled and sliced.
Along with this, grains akin to rice, soya and corn grits, breakfast cereals and pulses, are processed together with spices akin to pink chilli and turmeric. These value-added merchandise not solely protect the dietary content material but in addition create new market alternatives, contributing to the financial empowerment of ladies farmers.
The corporate is related to over 4 lakh smallholder farmers and has empowered 3,500 girls. “These girls have seen a big enhance of their month-to-month incomes, with many experiencing an earnings increase of 15-20 %. On common, they’ve noticed a rise of Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 of their month-to-month earnings. This earnings increase offers them better monetary stability and permits them to reinvest of their farms,” says Vaibhav.
Kashi Shivaji Pawar, who has been working with S4S Applied sciences for the previous three years, was a landless farmer. Earlier, she labored as an agricultural labourer in fields owned by others. “I must exit looking for a job so far as two kilometres. After working all day beneath the tough daylight, I’d hardly earn Rs 200 per day. I needed to discontinue my daughter’s schooling after class 12,” she says.
“However, fortunately I used to be capable of proceed with it after I began working right here. I’m able to earn twice the quantity as much as Rs 400-450 per day. The centre can be close by so it will get simpler for me to take care of my kids as properly. My daughter is now pursuing her commencement and likewise studying the way to kind,” provides the resident of Matrewadi village of Jalna district.
The corporate caters to 10,000 prospects in giant packaged meals firms, cloud kitchens, Fast-Service Eating places (QSRs), export homes, inns, eating places and the catering trade. The corporate’s annual income stands at Rs 200 crores.
Wanting on the affect created by the corporate, Vaibhav says, “We’ve been capable of deal with essential challenges like post-harvest losses, meals waste and poverty by offering sustainable, solar-powered options that empower farmers to change into entrepreneurs.”
“The ripple impact of our work is profound—each time we scale our operations, we improve the livelihoods of these instantly concerned and drive broader systemic change inside the communities we serve. The journey has been immensely fulfilling and figuring out that our progress instantly interprets into significant, lasting affect for therefore many solely deepens our dedication to increasing our attain and multiplying our efforts,” he provides.
Edited by Padmashree Pande. All images: S4S Applied sciences.
Supply:
Submit harvest losses of fruit and veggies in India: By Ramesh Kumar Sahni, revealed in September 2023.
India grows extra meals, wastes extra, whereas extra go hungry: By Rahul Shrivastava for India Immediately, revealed on 21 January 2021.
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