Solar Cacao Dryers
(Link to Solar Cacao Dryers Success Story)
Twenty-four families in Colonia 3 de Mayo, in the Caranavi region of the Yungas, received individual solar cacao dryers, constructed to aid in increasing the production quality of cacao in their community. Each solar cacao dryer uniformly dries approximately five quintals of cacao in the space of one or two days. Before construction of the solar cacao dryers, these families used a traditional open-air drying system, which was insufficient for the production of a high-quality, uniformly-dried product. Such rudimentary production methods forced growers to sell their product at lower prices.
Also in the Caranavi region, families from the communities of Villa Prado and San Juan Suapi received similar assistance. The result for all families involved in the cacoa projects is a higher-quality product which can be sold at higher prices, thus increasing the incomes of participants.
