Hidden beneath the rich soils of Cagayan Valley and Northern Luzon is an industry ripe for picking.
As part of the celebration of the Peanut Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda (Fiesta) supported by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), innovators from various universities and colleges in Cagayan Valley and Northern Luzon showcased technologies that aim to improve peanut production and processing. These innovators generated technologies that will help address challenges faced by the industry, such as labor costs, lack of manpower, high wastage, low-quality outputs, and more.
Among the technologies showcased were peanut thresher, peanut sheller, aerated peanut bulk storage, peanut rotary sorting machine, and mobile peanut sheller.
The peanut thresher developed by Cagayan State University (CSU) led by Dr. Jose D. Guzman separates peanut pods from the plant after harvesting.
Using rotating drums or rollers, the machine can detach the pods from its vines, facilitating the collection of clean and ready-to-use peanuts.
It also features a function that sorts peanuts into small, medium, and large sizes.
The peanut sheller is another innovation by CSU that addresses peanut processors’ constraints, such as low output, postharvest losses, contamination, and high labor costs.
The peanut sheller removes the edible kernels inside the peanut shells. It operates by applying pressure to crack open the shells and after which, broken shells and peanut kernels are subjected to vibration to allow ease of separation. Similar to the thresher, the sheller also sorts the kernels according to size.
The aerated peanut bulk storage also developed by CSU addresses the challenges of common storage practices by traditional farmers in controlling humidity, infestation, and temperature that may affect the quality of the crop.
The storage equipment has an intelligent system for preserving peanuts that features sensors to detect the inside and outside humidity and temperature. It also sends information about storage conditions to the user’s mobile for smart monitoring.
The aerated peanut bulk storage can store 1 ton of peanut pods, with a monthly operating cost of P1.47.
To provide quality products and services, a sorting machine developed by the team of Engr. Joel M. Alcaraz from Isabela State University (ISU) offers peanut processors a faster and more efficient sorting machine for peanut kernels.
Among the advantages of the rotary sorting machine include its high mobility, less damage to kernels, and lesser vibration compared to other sorting machines.
Also developed by Developed by ISU, the mobile peanut sheller offers a different take on shelling peanuts.
Its mobile feature allows easy machine transfer, which is best for farming cooperatives that may need to share equipment. – Press release
