SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Dec. 1 (PIA) - - The advantages of the locally- invented Portable Solar Dryer or Portasol were taken in the first leg of the webinar series started today by the Regional Development Council (RDC) Region 1 through the Regional Research, Development, and Innovation Committee (RRDIC).
The RRDIC, through its chairperson, Director Armando G. Ganal of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Region 1, initiated the webinar series set on December 1-4 and December 9 – 11 to introduce the utilization of the RDC 1- endorsed seven technologies benefitting the residents particularly the farmers in the region.
The opening of the webinar series featured the Portasol invented by Francisco "Popoy" Pagayon, the president of the Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative (FISPC).
According to Pagayon, a stackable set of Portasol has 12 trays for grains thermal drying that can accommodate 150 kilograms of palay per drying.
Portasol is practical and convertible for drying palay, corn, beans, vegetables, fruits, and fish (daing). Using Portasol prevents pest infestation and allows storage ventilation by providing necessary breathing spaces between multi-tiers of stored grains to avoid the build-up of fungal mold, rot, and mildew spoiling.
“Portasol is ideal for small rice farmers with one to two hectares of ricefield in which this will provides a more efficient, sanitary, and safe way of drying palay and other grains,” Pagayon said in his presentation.
Through the use of the equipment, Pagayon said that this will lessen the palay grains’ 10 percent annual post-harvest losses from traditional drying methods and the use of paved roads as solar dryers.
Traditional drying methods are still old practices, such as mat drying where the threshed palay are spread on mats and canvas, and pavement drying for large scale harvest. The other drying method is using a whole stretch of highway or road as a rice dryer.
“Aside from post-harvest losses, drying along the roads is hazardous to both rice dryers and motorists, who have to hog the clear half of the road to avoid running over the grains,” he said.
He said that Portasol will last forever, handy, conveniently useful, efficient, and practical. It will not need fuel for drying palay grains and other high-value crops as long as the sun is up.
“Portasol will make collecting and moving grains fast and easy; there’s no technical skill to use, no maintenance, and with proper care, these will last forever,” Pagayon said.
If interested in the technology, Pagayon said that anyone could contact him directly with his cellphone number: 09399321730 or contact DOST Region 1 Director Ganal.
“The price of the Portasol equipment is negotiable,” Pagayon said. (JCR/FGL, PIA 1)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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