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Can Tho University, on-farm trials in Ben Tre Province


Trial 1: Performance of dryers at smallholder sites in November 2006

Introduction:

By October 2006, two dryers had been installed at smallholder sites in Ben Tre Province.


Illustration 1: Solar drier at Mr Son in Ben Tre Illustration 2: Drier at Mrs Suong, Ben Tre Province

These were at the different owners of Mr Thanh Son and Mrs Nam Suong as shown in illustrations 1 & 2.
Because of the fact that these driers were about 80km from Can Tho University, it was not possible to conduct
the range of tests usually employed in monitoring fermentation and drying trials. In this case samples were
collected on various days of drying and moisture contents analysed at Can Tho University.


Rate of cocoa drying at 2 Smallholder sites
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
01234567
Day of Drying
% Moisture
Thanh Son
Nam Suong

Figure 1: Rate of cocoa drying on solar driers in Ben Tre Province.

Because of the distance and time involved, samples could not be collected for every day of the drying process.
At both sites, drying to approximately 7% moisture had occurred by day six and this demonstrates their
effectiveness for smallholder drying of cocoa.