GAP (Southeast Anatolia Project) and drying with solar energy.
Seylam, A.; Olmez, H. K.;
Tarim ve Koyisleri Bakanligi Dergisi Year: 1999 Issue: No. 126 Pages: 55-57
1999
บทคัดย่อ
Due to suitable climatic and agroecological conditions in Turkey, production of fruits and vegetables is high. Production will increase with the improvements in the GAP (Southeast Anatolia Project) area in terms of irrigation, modernization and mechanization in agriculture. The total production of vegetables in 1996 in Turkey was 20 million t and the value for fruits was 13 million t. Traditionally, fruits and vegetables are dried in Turkey and they contribute substantially to the country's exports. Dried vegetable exports increased from 2.9 thousand t in 1994 to 9.3 thousand t in 1996. The main importers of dried fruits and vegetables from Turkey are Germany, France, the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy and Switzerland. The popularity of drying as a postharvest technology lies in the fact that it is much cheaper compared with other methods. A cold chain system tends to need high investment and high maintenance. Drying can be performed in a less sophisticated environment and if processing is
done correctly, it is safe to keep the produce at room temperatures. It also provides added value to the fresh vegetable and fruit production, since dried fruits and vegetables are sold at a higher price. The GAP area gets long periods of sunshine and the use of solar power for drying seems to be the best solution. This method also maintain the best appearance of the fruits and vegetables and control of the temperature and air flow produces the best results in terms of nutrition. The fruits dried in Turkey are apples, figs, cherries, sour cherries, pears, plums, mulberries and apricots. Dried vegetables include mushrooms, okras, onions, aubergines, red chillies and tomatoes. Some medicinal plants are also dried and consumed as herbal teas or used in food. Organic drying is becoming more important and there is growing market for organic dried fruits and vegetables in Europe and America. The establishment of solar driers in GAP region will facilitate the drying process and will help the producers to maintain t
he quality and quantity.