Low Cost Solar Tent Dryer -An Improved Tool for Quality Dry Fish Production for Increasing Farmers’ Income

Sun drying is one of the traditional methods employed to preserve fish. It is considered as one of the most convenient and cheapest forms of preservation. Solar tent drying is an improved method of sun drying. In the present study an attempt was made to preserve Puthi fish (Punctiusticto) in solar tent dryer and the results were compared with open sun drying. The fishes dried completely in a period of20 hours. Proximate composition analysis of both raw and dried fish was done and data were recorded. The temperature inside the solar tent dryer was higher compared to open sun and increased to 44.5°C compared to 43.0°C in open sun drying. The relative humidity was found to be maintained in optimum level throughout the drying period for fish dried inside solar tent dryer. The sensory analysis results showed that the organoleptic property of all the characteristics viz.-color, odor, taste, shape and texture was significantly greater (p<0.05) than open sun drying. The results of economic analysis showed net income of solar tent dryer ishigher by 3 folds than open sun drying of fish and B-C ratio for solar tent dryer was found to be 1.99as compared to 1.35 in open sun drying.