THE livelihood of locals will be significantly enhanced from the far-fetched villages of Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) following the intervention of a solar dryer processing facility in Nappi Village.
The residents of Nappi and satellite communities will see the completion of a multi-million-dollar solar dryer, which will be fully operational soon.
At present, the construction of phase one of the physical structure of the 20-foot by 40-foot solar dryer and shed was completed.

However, an evaluation is being conducted to ensure all requirements are met before production trials and training sessions are intensified for beneficiaries of the project.
Fruits that were previously wasted will now be put to good use to make local products of high quality and standards.
The facility will also employ villagers, thus enabling them to have a stable income.

Meanwhile, resident and former Toshao, Samuel Fredricks of Nappi Village, has since expressed his satisfaction with the pace of the project implementation.
“For years, we have dreamed of having such a facility to add value to what we produce. Now, the Guyana Marketing Corporation is helping us realise such a dream. As a community, we are pleased with the construction of the solar dryer,” he said.

Primarily an agrarian community, Nappi Village is located in the Rupununi Savannahs and is nestled at the edge of the Kanuku Mountains along the Nappi and Maipaima creeks.
It is the home of one of Guyana’s nine Indigenous nations – the Mucushi, who still use eco-friendly agricultural practices to cultivate their lands, which is the main source of income and food security for many families there and its satellite communities.

The G$4M solar dryer, which is funded with resources from the Ministry of Agriculture’s integrated agriculture project, was designed at the requests of former Toshao Samuel Fredricks as part of a comprehensive agricultural plan to improve food security and diversification of livelihood in Nappi Village and its surrounding communities.
As part of his advocacy, Fredricks further highlighted the importance of value-added production as an important step forward to significantly enhance the marketability of products through enhanced packaging and labelling according to regional and international standards.|

According to Fredricks, “It has come at a time where we have grasped the vision of His Excellency President Dr. Irfaan Ali of having a food-secure community and country at large. The vision is to make the communities more food secure. We intend to produce flour from eddoes, plantain, and sweet potatoes.”
He also noted that the operation of the solar dryer will encourage farmers to increase production because they will be able to add value to the production process by using the solar dryer to dehydrate and package their crops, including seasonal fruits such as cashews and mangoes, which in the past often languished and perished due to lack of proper post-harvest management and lack of market access.

Due to its remote location, Nappi Village doesn’t have the network and resources to employ its locals fully, and although most residents earn through farming, fishing and hunting, jobs aren’t easy to come by.
When fully operational, beneficiaries of the project will be able to produce 10,000 kgs per month of mangoes, ground provisions, fruits, and thyme.
At one of the awareness sessions held recently by the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) at Nappi Village, agro-processors from Nappi, Hiawa Village, and Parishara welcomed the initiative, noting that such a facility would boost their production capacity and marketability since they are currently using traditional drying methods.

Some of the products emanating from Nappi Village and its surrounding communities include cassava bread, dried garlic, garlic sauce, dried thyme, fruit juice, ground pepper (chitai), and cassava cassareep.
During the sensitisation session, the Guyana Marketing Corporation addressed issues pertaining to food safety, packaging and labelling, among other topics to support the successful operation of the facility when completed.