Young Tanzanian innovators had an opportunity to conceptualise, develop and ultimately pitch their smart food security solutions during the annual IREN Technologies and Innovation Programme (ITIP 2022) organised by the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation at the Nabongo Cultural Centre in Matungu, Kenya.
Tanzania, together with its East Africa Community (EAC) partners, still records huge annual post-harvest losses.
"The EAC has adopted a post-harvest fruits and vegetables strategy and action plan to mitigate this loss," said Mr Christophe Bazivamo, the EAC's Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social sectors.
"We are proud of the problem solving exposure the youth of the lake region has gained through IREN Kenya's food security initiative," said Ms Veni Swai, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Programme Manager, East Africa.
Paul Brian, Abdulkadir Siro and Benard Mbatha showcased a Sun Dryer that uses solar energy to regulate required moisture contents for food products such as cereals, vegetables and fish being dried.
Davis Achimba, Peris Njeri, Victor Ochieng and Faith Wanjugu paraded a locally fabricated fresh fruits canning machine for both small and large scale use. The machine normalises fruit canning to reduce wastage, control the seasonality use of fruits and increase the canned fruits' shelf life.
Source: allafrica.com