On June 3rd, the time had come. The cabinet dryer was loaded with fresh pineapple pieces and drying with solar energy started for the very first time.
A long and intensive journey of planning and installation work is behind us. In January our container with equipment for energy supply and food processing was unloaded in Kampala. In February, Daniel went with 5 volunteer craftsmen and installers from Vorarlberg to Uganda. Together with the team from All in Trade, the first step was to ensure that the power supply was set up with photovoltaics and the heat supply was prepared with solar thermal energy. A very daring undertaking was bringing in the dryer, which weighs roughly one ton. This takes a lot of skill and steady nerves.
Just 4 weeks later another team, which includes Daniel and 5 volunteers from Vorarlberg, started their work. The heat supply for the dryer was installed and commissioned. Many additional tasks were taken on, from the installation of stainless-steel tables to the IT infrastructure and camera monitoring. In the end, everything was ready for the first solar test run.
By the middle of May we were already back. There was still essential work to be completed at the site. A supply of running water, the installation of the backup and a functioning sewage and waste water treatment plant were urgently needed for the start of production and would be implemented accordingly.
Our partner All in Trade spared no effort to organise a great celebration for the opening of our factory on the 31st ofs May. 200 guests, including the delegate of the Austrian Chamber of Foreign Trade for East Africa, MMag. Edith Predorf and the head of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) Uganda Dr. Roswitha Kremser. The celebration was accompanied by traditional dances from different regions of Uganda. We are happy about the high level of appreciation for what we have achieved. Our vision has now become reality. Touching moments in the TWIGA Story.
After the festivities, we welcomed our production team on Friday afternoon. Excited young ladies, eagerly awaited the first day of production. The pineapples are delivered the day before to be used for production during the next day. Harvesting is also done by staff directly in the field to select the perfect quality for drying. After delivery, the pineapples are washed and put into boxes. These boxes are provided with barcodes. With this barcode method, each box is recorded and itemized by which batch has gone into production.
The next morning, our production day started at 7 am. Our team slipped into white coats and gloves. After a thorough cleaning of the stainless steel equipment, 350 kg of fresh pineapple were carefully peeled, cut into pieces and distributed onto the 66 trays of the tray dryer. It was a great moment when we started the drying process for the first time.
However, the humid climate and the sweet ripe fruit challenged us. The drying took much longer than during the test run in Germany. It is a good thing that our solar energy supply is sufficiently large.
The drying results gave us great joy! Rashid, the head of our cooperative, raved about the golden colour of the dried fruits. This quality feature allows them to fetch a much higher price on the international market.
After 4 days of production, we packed our "gold" in 250 g packets under a protective atmosphere. This preserves both the colour and the delicious taste. In addition, the fruits are protected from spoiling by the removal of oxygen and the addition of nitrogen.
The first delivery was ready for air freight. We will have an accredited laboratory carry out appropriate tests, which should officially confirm flawless organic quality. At the beginning of July, Daniel will be back on site to start continuous production.
We look forward to supplying you with our treasures from Uganda in the near future.