Supporting apricot production with a new solar fruit dryer

A Tajik farmer invests in an energy-efficient solar dryer in order to improve the quality of his apricot production and boost his earning potential.

Mr. Nishonov grows apricots on his small land plot in the Kanibadam district of Tajikistan. Until now one of the biggest challenges has been to sun-dry his harvest in time without losses of product due to contamination or reduced quality owing to sun drying.

With the support of CLIMADAPT financing, Mr. Nishonov invested in a modern and efficient solar dryer that enables him to dry up to 300 kg of apricots at a time. This innovative method of drying will result in a better quality of dried products and higher income for the farmer. With an investment size of only US$ 450, he can benefit from annual savings of US$ 110.

Mr. Nishonov’s neighbours are also taking an interest in his newly adopted drying methods. With an increasing demand for healthy foods such as dried fruit, more farmers are becoming interested in such production.

The Tajikistan Climate Resilience Financing Facility, CLIMADAPT is developed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and supported by the Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (CIF PPCR), the United Kingdom and the EBRD Early Transition Countries (ETC) Fund.