All-Weather Plastic Dryer

The All-Weather Plastic Dryer is an innovation through the Livelihood Enhancement Support-1 (LES-1) of the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP). Following are the stories of the Inihanding Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Bukidnon and the Kauswagan United Farmers for Forest and Agro-Forest Resources Development in Bohol.
 
Inhandig Coffee in Bukidnon
 
Arabica, a locally and globally highly-valued crop is a product of the Inhandig Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ITMC), an Indigenous People's Organization in Bukidnon. To pursue the expansion of coffee production, an all-weather plastic dryer was turned over to the organization on February 12, 2020. The coffee beans are enclosed in the dryer as protection from dust, insects, birds, and animals. It is also convenient to use due to its waterproof design so the coffee beans do not need to be transferred from one place to another when it rains. The use of this innovation will aid them in producing high-quality coffee beans to meet the consumers' taste, to command a higher price in the specialty coffee category and to compete in the global market.
 
Breakthrough at its Finest: Community Farming in Bohol
 
The People's Organization of Kauswagan United Farmers for Forest and Agro-Forest Resources Development (KUFFARD) resides in the second most populous barangay in Trinidad, Bohol. It has a total land area of 790 hectares and home to nearly 300 households. Farming serves as the main source of livelihood for the 85% of the total barangay population. Produce being cultivated in the area includes rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, and coconut with rice as their primary agricultural crop. Kauswagan farmers generate an average of 5,000 cavans of palay per harvest season, making them one of the leading suppliers of rice in the province.
 
However, their abundance does not come without obstacles. Farmers have to battle with inaccessible roads, inadequate water supply, erratic weather conditions, conventional production methods, and insufficient drying facilities during harvest season. In addition, people living in upland communities have been dealing with mountainous terrains, narrow trails, and rough roads since time immemorial. As a result, there is a preconceived notion of the general public that they are always the last ones to receive various development initiatives. This mindset was changed when the Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management Project (INREMP) was introduced to them.
 
With the project's implementation in their area, PO KUFFARD turned these obstacles into an opportunity for them to revolutionize and develop a solution to their farming difficulties. Through one of INREMP's subprojects namely the Livelihood Enhancement Support (LES), they became a beneficiary of a Php 300,000.00 cash grant.
 
Led by their Chairman, Jesus Librado Ybanez, Jr., PO KUFFARD chose to innovate the tedious and time-consuming drying processes of agricultural harvests in Kauswagan. Thus, they identified an Enhanced All-Weather & Multi-Product Plastic Dryer Facility as their LES subproject, which is a post-harvest facility that addresses the need of farmers for quality and timely farm produce. Barangay Kauswagan was able to build two units of the said facility and were launched last April 28, 2020.
 
Compared to the traditional method of drying unmilled rice where a bigger space and longer periods are needed, this facility resolves these predicaments. In just a matter of hours, farmers could already produce high-quality palay for milling into rice. Each unit with 4x6 meter dimension could accommodate a maximum of 50 sacks of rice grains in a three to four-hour drying process period. This facility could even achieve a significant 300% heat efficiency index which makes it faster than a conventional solar dryer pavement or a fuel-fired drying chamber. Likewise, this drying chamber has a unique feature that captures and contains substantial heat even during the evening. With this new facility, farmers will not have to worry about abrupt rains because the drying process continues.
 
Moreover, it caters to quite a number of farm products such as copra, cassava, and sweet potatoes, among others. It could also be utilized for drying fish or any type of seafood, spices, and vegetables and even fibers like raffia and maguey without compromising product standard and consistency. It can guarantee an attainable 100% quality output and a 300% time-efficiency ratio. Most importantly, this gives an added benefit to the entire Barangay Kauswagan community to earn more because of its efficiency and effectiveness in terms of quality drying process thus reducing spoilage and wastage due to product moisture and molds.
 
Currently, the units are being patronized by farmers of Barangay Kauswagan. However, PO KUFFARD does not shy away from the idea to open and make their facilities available to the farmers or even the fishermen in the entire Province of Bohol. As Mr. Ybanez said, "the drying chamber can be redesigned and customized to suit a particular product,"  which makes it more convenient for the end-users.
 
"We could already meet the growing demands of rice, especially during this time of the pandemic,"  Mr. Genaro Lopez, farmer and PO KUFFARD Board Member said.
 
Barangay Captain, Mr. Filadelfo Tabada remarked, "We are so proud to be a model barangay because of this type of innovation."  These and more are the voices echoed with the birth of this breakthrough. More than the recognition, Barangay Kauswagan believes that their innovation inspires others in the agricultural sector to endlessly think of ways on how to improve their standard of living. The accomplishment of one is the accomplishment of all. This is the truest essence of INREMP. It gives not only support but also pride and upliftment even to the marginalized groups in the community.