In India, post-harvest losses are estimated to account for about 40 p.c of whole agricultural produce, resulting in an financial lack of roughly $14 billion yearly.
At Maharashtra-based model Moomba, vital efforts are being made by making a marketplace for produce that may usually go to waste. Central to this initiative is the modern use of solar-powered dehydration expertise, which transforms discarded produce into high-quality, shelf-stable meals elements. This additionally helps farmers generate further revenue.
“By changing unsellable produce into marketable merchandise, we empower over 3,500 ladies farmers who are actually incomes a further revenue of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh yearly. This revenue 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 vitality for meals processing, the initiative reduces greenhouse fuel emissions and promotes environmentally sustainable farming practices. “This strategy 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 higher financial independence and selling gender equality by empowering ladies farmers with the abilities and information to function solar-powered expertise and handle their companies.
Including worth to discarded crop utilizing photo voltaic vitality
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 pals from farming background got here collectively to make use of their scientific information and make a distinction within the lives of smallholder farmers.
Sharing his perception on the publish harvest losses, Vaibhav says, “This happens on account of numerous elements equivalent to insufficient storage services, poor infrastructure, inefficient provide chains and lack of correct processing expertise. It results in financial loss as with decreased revenue from their crops, many small farmers are pressured 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 objects – fruits, greens, grains and spices – successfully dehydrating them.
The SCD is provided with a clear plastic cowl that permits 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 vitality is then transferred by means of conduction to the produce, making certain uniform and environment friendly dehydration. It’s designed to be user-friendly, requiring minimal coaching, which empowers ladies farmers to function it independently.
“This course of extends the shelf lifetime of the produce, remodeling perishable crops into high-quality, shelf-stable meals elements with out counting on electrical energy or fossil fuels. Our expertise exemplifies how easy, renewable vitality 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 ladies
At Moomba, all kinds of value-added merchandise are being made utilizing solar-powered expertise. These embody dehydrated vegetables and fruit equivalent to potatoes, inexperienced chilli, inexperienced peas, garlic, onion, corn, ginger, tomato, spinach and pumpkin, that are processed into numerous types like entire, chopped, minced, granules, powder, kibbled and sliced.
Along with this, grains equivalent to rice, soya and corn grits, breakfast cereals and pulses, are processed together with spices equivalent to crimson chilli and turmeric. These value-added merchandise not solely protect the dietary content material but additionally 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 ladies. “These ladies have seen a major enhance of their month-to-month incomes, with many experiencing an revenue increase of 15-20 p.c. On common, they’ve noticed a rise of Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 of their month-to-month revenue. This revenue increase offers them higher 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 in quest of a job so far as two kilometres. After working all day beneath the cruel daylight, I’d hardly earn Rs 200 per day. I needed to discontinue my daughter’s training 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 effectively. My daughter is now pursuing her commencement and likewise studying how you can sort,” provides the resident of Matrewadi village of Jalna district.
The corporate caters to 10,000 clients in massive packaged meals corporations, cloud kitchens, Fast-Service Eating places (QSRs), export homes, motels, eating places and the catering trade. The corporate’s annual income stands at Rs 200 crores.
Trying on the affect created by the corporate, Vaibhav says, “We’ve been capable of handle crucial challenges like post-harvest losses, meals waste and poverty by offering sustainable, solar-powered options that empower farmers to develop 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 throughout the communities we serve. The journey has been immensely fulfilling and figuring out that our progress instantly interprets into significant, lasting affect for thus many solely deepens our dedication to increasing our attain and multiplying our efforts,” he provides.
Edited by Padmashree Pande. All photographs: S4S Applied sciences.
Supply:
Publish harvest losses of vegetables and fruit in India: By Ramesh Kumar Sahni, printed in September 2023.
India grows extra meals, wastes extra, whereas extra go hungry: By Rahul Shrivastava for India Right this moment, printed on 21 January 2021.
