On February 10, 2, the Union of Science and Technology Associations of Ben Tre Province (Union of Associations) coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade of Ben Tre to organize a workshop to introduce solar drying technology to a number of people. agricultural and aquatic products.
Attending the conference were Mr. Nguyen Quoc Bao - Chairman of Ben Tre Union of Associations; Mr. Nguyen Van Niem - Deputy Director of Ben Tre Department of Industry and Trade; Associate Professor, PhD. Lam Van Tan - Director of Ben Tre Department of Science and Technology; Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc - Chairman of the City Union of Science and Technology Associations. HCM; Mr. Nguyen Vu Trang - Vice President and General Secretary of the City Automation Association. HCM; Ms. Le Hong Loan - Vice President of the City Automation Association. HCM; Mr. Pham Hoang Hai Quan - General Director of Vietnam Sustainable Energy Technology Joint Stock Company; Representatives of the Leaders of the Economic Department of Ben Tre City, the Farmers' Association of Ben Tre Province, the Women's Union of Ben Tre Province; Together with businesses from the city. HCM, businesses in Ben Tre.
Attending online were Mr. Tran Dinh Sinh - General Director of Vietnam Green Innovation Joint Stock Company; Ms. Vu Thi Bich Dao - Representative of Vietnam Green Innovation Joint Stock Company; Mr. Nguyen Trung Tin - Representative of the community of An Giang province, representative of the Women's Union, Farmers' Union, economic, economic and infrastructure departments of districts and City. Ben Tre, media, representatives of businesses, production and business households.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Bao - Chairman of Ben Tre Union of Associations emphasized the important elements of drying techniques for agricultural and aquatic products. This is a measure to help increase the value of goods, meeting the need for clean product production, according to the increasing demands of domestic and foreign consumption markets. At the same time, improve the competitiveness of businesses in the market, ensuring a safe production environment. Therefore, functional sectors need to provide information to businesses about solutions to apply clean, economical and effective technology to process products. Currently, solar drying technology is an effective solution that can meet the requirements of a clean, safe and synchronous production process.
Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc - Chairman of the City Union of Associations. HCM presented the trend and effectiveness of using solar energy in drying agricultural products. He emphasized: “Considering that renewable energy is a clean energy source that minimizes the greenhouse effect and does not cause pollution during the conversion process. Therefore, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, by 2030, set goals and orientations for renewable energy development. Vietnam has implemented many solar energy projects concentrated in the Central and Southern provinces, bringing many benefits to the government and the community. To turn Vietnam's renewable energy and solar energy potential into reality, in addition to appropriate and effective policies, implementing cultural transformation includes raising awareness and energy consumption behavior. People's sun is also very important. This is the fundamental basis for implementing effective and sustainable renewable energy and green energy policies."
In fact, 80% of farmers still use natural drying methods. This method is easy to implement, low cost, however the disadvantage is that it is affected by weather factors, hygiene and safety, high loss, labor intensive... Given that reality, it is necessary to increase application. technology, introducing drying equipment into the process of processing and preserving agricultural products. Modern drying equipment can limit the disadvantages of natural drying, but the investment costs are high and fuel consumption is high.
Therefore, solar dryers are an effective solution that can solve the above problem, by making the most of solar energy to dry agricultural, aquatic and seafood products. Once deployed, solar dryers will help save production costs, electricity costs, and increase profits when selling finished products. Solar dryers can dry a variety of different products. Typically foods: fruits, agriculture, aquatic products, seafood, noodles, cakes... In particular, the device can also dry other products such as fertilizer, paper materials, leaves... In terms of environmental efficiency environment, this solution ensures food safety and hygiene because it takes place in a closed environment, reduces output loss during the drying process, and at the same time reduces CO emissions.2 helps protect the environment.
Mr. Lam Van Tan - Director of Ben Tre Department of Science and Technology analyzed favorable factors when applying solar energy technology to dry agricultural products. He said: “Drying technology is one of the methods to help reduce moisture content in raw materials; thereby reducing water activity, inhibiting changes due to the presence of water such as: growth of microorganisms, catalysis of enzymes. The application of drying technology, which focuses on solar drying in new ways and controlling food safety and hygiene, contributes to extending the preservation time of agricultural and aquatic products; Support the processing of agricultural and aquatic products into high value-added products; Food safety and hygenic ; At the same time, it solves one of the problems of the agricultural sector, which is the backlog of agricultural products and the paradox of good harvest and loss of price not only in Ben Tre but also in many other localities throughout the country.. "
From the analysis of the disadvantages of the old-style drying method, Mr. Lam Van Tan affirmed: "It is necessary to reaffirm the role of a solar dryer. With just a simple solar dryer, or a sun drying house with good ventilation, product drying speed can be improved by 30-50%. However, the cost of investing in an energy drying system is generally still high compared to people's income. To overcome funding obstacles, building a solar drying system in stages can be applied."
Also in this seminar, Mr. Huynh Vo Hieu Thien (Pavina Solar company) introduced a number of solar energy application models in drying agricultural products, including: simple solar drying system, solar energy drying system. Solar drying system with convection fan, solar drying system with integrated heat assist.
The workshop also heard Mr. Pham Hoang Hai Quan - General Director of Vietnam Sustainable Energy Technology Company discussing solutions for applying solar drying technology. Many delegates attending the in-person and online seminar raised questions about the effectiveness of solar drying applications, investment costs, and state support policies....
Drying is a common method of processing and preserving agricultural products, in which solar energy is an appropriate energy source to use for the convection drying process. Ben Tre is a locality rich in agricultural and aquatic products. Basically, the locality has applied the drying method in agricultural and aquatic product processing to help create value-added products. However, with a small processing scale, sun drying is still the main method. Investing in solar drying equipment can be applied to replace traditional sun drying methods, helping to shorten the required drying time and ensure product quality.
Mr. Lam Van Tan - Director of Ben Tre Department of Science and Technology said: It is possible to invest in many stages to minimize the cost burden, and at the same time choose drying products with high added value to ensure economic efficiency. The Department of Science and Technology is ready to support and support effective technologies that can be applied to production practices in Ben Tre, including technology that uses solar energy to dry some agricultural crops. products in the province./.
Truc Giang
(According to Ben Tre Union of Computer Science and Technology Associations)