RDC eyes Portasol as primary grains dryer

MANILA, Philippines — The Regional Development Council for Region 1 (RDC-1) is looking at the locally developed Portasol multi-tray solar dryer as a primary option to help it comply with a recent prohibition made by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the use of national highways as post-harvest facilities.

Engineer Armand Ganal, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 1 director, said that he and Portasol inventor Francisco Pagayon, president of the Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative (FISPC), made a presentation on the Portasol before the RDC-1 in its meeting last month.

Ganal said the DOST was pushing for the Portasol to solve the perennial problem of farmers using pavements as well as outer lanes of national highways, and two-lane roads and streets as drying areas for their harvested crops.

The DPWH issued Department Order No. 41 in 2013 prohibiting the drying of palay and other farm produce along national highways.  

Farmers who violate the order face a penalty of up to P1,000, or imprisonment of six months.

The Portasol solar dryer was developed to help small rice farmers and upland growers dry palay faster using minimal space in their backyard, instead of using portions of concrete roads that result in accidents and post-harvest losses.

“Portasol has been available in the country for many years. It is a much better solution to dry palay and other crops, compared to the primitive and inefficient method of using the national highways as a drying facility that affect the quality of the produce and block vehicular traffic in the provinces,” Pagayon said.

Portasol consists of aluminum thermal trays which are assembled in a rack format and covered with a net to preserve the heat from the sun and efficiently dry palay, corn, high-value crops, fish and other food products. The net also protects the products from pests, bacteria, fungi and the elements.