Hidden beneath the rich soils of Cagayan Valley and Northern Luzon is an industry ripe for picking.
Peanuts have become integral to the culture and economy of the Philippines. It’s a taste that many Filipinos crave as snacks or a versatile ingredient for peanut butter and Filipino dishes like kare-kare. With its demand in the market, opportunities for peanut farmers and businesses are promising. Luckily, the industry is supported by innovative minds that aim to bring solutions toward the economic advancement of the local peanut industry.
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.
Peanut thresher
The peanut thresher is among the technologies developed by Cagayan State University (CSU) led by Dr. Jose D. Guzman. This machine 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.
CSU’s Peanut Thresher. (Image credit: Dr. Jose D. Guzman)
According to Dr. Guzman, the CSU Peanut Thresher will reduce the threshing costs of peanuts per kilogram (kg) from P5.00 to P1.83 compared to manual threshing. The machine showcases better threshing efficiency and recovery and lower production loss due to damages. During the dry season, the stripping capacity can increase to 116 kg/hour (hr), with a stripping efficiency of 93%.
Peanut sheller
The peanut sheller is another innovation developed by CSU under Dr. Guzman. It 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.
Compared to manual shelling, the CSU Peanut Sheller will reduce the total shelling cost per kilogram from P5.00 to P1.00. Depending on the variety, the machine can shell up to 90–100 kg/hr.
CSU’s Peanut Sheller. (Image credit: Dr. Jose D. Guzman)
Aerated peanut bulk storage
Also designed by CSU under Dr. Guzman, the aerated peanut bulk storage addresses the challenges of common storage practices by traditional farmers in controlling humidity, infestation, and temperature that may affect the quality of the crop.
This 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.
Aerated Bulk Storage. (Image credit: Dr. Jose D. Guzman)
Peanut rotary sorting machine
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.
According to Engr. Alcaraz, advantages of the rotary sorting machine include its high mobility, less damage to kernels, and lesser vibration compared to other sorting machines.
Peanut Rotary Sorting Machine. (Image credit: Joel M. Alcaraz)
Mobile peanut sheller
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. Depending on the model, the machine can shell peanuts up to 150–380 kg/hr. The price of the machine ranges from P50,000.00 to P120,000.00.
Mobile Peanut Sheller. (Image credit: Joel M. Alcaraz)
With the advent of better and more affordable machines, science innovators continue to open gateways of opportunities for more farmers and business owners in the peanut industry. Just as the celebration of the Peanut FIESTA says, definitely, “May Money sa Mani!”
Do you want to know more about these game-changing peanut technologies? For more information, contact the Cagayan Valley Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (CVAARRD) Consortium and the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC).
CVAARRD
(078) 323-3035
facebook.com/cvaarrd
ILAARRDEC
+63 948 327 3456
facebook.com/ilarrdec.ilocosregion