Dryer is equipped with automatic control and energy-saving design which can process 12.5 metric tons of fresh pods at a time
In order to implement the policy of automated production of domestic grains, the Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station of the Ministry of Agriculture actively promotes the establishment of a demonstration site for the “Domestic Peanut Post-Harvest Drying Center”, integrating the soil removal, weed removal and circular drying operations after the peanuts are harvested from the field to create a consistent mechanical processing system. The demonstration was held on May 16 at the Lihao Peanut Farm in Fuchao Village, Tuku Township, Yunlin County. Relevant industry players, production and marketing groups, and farmers are invited to participate and learn about the technological achievements on the spot.
Tainan Farm Director Chen Yuchu pointed out that the annual peanut planting area in Taiwan is about 16,000 to 18,000 hectares, with Yunlin County being the largest producing area, accounting for more than 70% of Taiwan’s total production. Although mechanized outsourcing has been introduced for field preparation, sowing, and harvesting, the post-harvest drying process still relies on artificial sun exposure. Faced with problems such as aging labor, insufficient exposure sites, and traffic disputes and dust pollution caused by road exposure, these problems have become a major bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of the industry.
To solve this problem, the Ministry of Agriculture has commissioned the Tainan Agricultural Research and Development Center and industry-academia collaboration to develop domestic drying equipment in recent years. Finally, in 2011, they successfully developed the “Circulating Peanut Dryer” and passed the agricultural machinery performance test. The dryer is equipped with automatic control and energy-saving design. It can process 12.5 metric tons of fresh pods at a time. The drying time only takes 2.5 to 3.5 days. Each machine can serve approximately 20 hectares of fields, saving more than 300 man-days of manpower each season, effectively improving drying efficiency and production safety.
Director Chen further explained that the farm is currently guiding the establishment of a unified demonstration site for the Lihao peanuts, introducing automatic processing machinery such as soil removal, stem removal, drying and unloading, to achieve standardization and refinement of post-harvest processing. This not only solves the manpower and site problems of traditional sun exposure, but also greatly reduces the risks of being affected by climate and pollution, ensuring food safety quality and stable supply of contracted products. It is of great significance, especially in reducing the risk of aflatoxin pollution, reducing traffic safety disputes and rural operation conflicts.
The Tainan Agricultural Innovation Station emphasized that it will continue to promote the peanut contract farming and drying center policy in the future, promote standardized mechanical operation processes through cooperation between industry, government, and academia, attract young farmers to return to production, establish a modern grain processing demonstration system, and lay a solid foundation for the domestic peanut industry to move towards sustainable development.
