Coimbatore: To reduce dependence on labor and increase exports, the City-based ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering has developed class students to sort small onions into three sizes and cleaners to reduce the onion harvest outer layers that are not desirable and make them ready for Cooking, cut or process immediately.
Ciae-Ciae scientists, who have worked with onion farmers to understand their requirements, say many farmers complained about their products, although of good quality, not qualifications for export because they vary and how people from the industry do not approach them, force them to sell to intermediaries , “At the end of 2019, we decided to develop a machine that would judge onions, so farmers can have a uniform onion for sale.
Uniformity in size is very important for export,” said a scientist.
One and a half years later, scientists came with two machines.
“Grader has a hole with a different size.
Once they are thrown into feeders, different onions of sizes will fall through holes by size, into their respective containers,” said the main scientist Dawn P Ambrose, which showed the machine to the farmer on Saturday , This allows three sizes – small, medium and large.
The cleaners will separate mud and dust from shallots when removed from storage and cleaning them.
While cleaners will cost around Rs 25,000 to install, the grade students will cost Rs 65,000.Inis scientists, from the Institute of Central Agricultural Engineering and Institute of Horticulture India Bangalore, together carry out training sessions for 75 farmers who show machines including the onion extractor , Onion Set Planter, onion harvester and detopper onion.
S Revathi, a onion farmer from Narasipuram, said that Detopper onion will reduce labor costs by 50%.