Library
Part 3/11 The Product and Technology

3.1 Product Portfolio / उत्पाद सूची

The FPO deals with four core items, each linked to a season:

CropMain FormOff-Season Value Product
Guava (Desi Safed)Fresh Fruit SalesGuava Pulp / Dried Slices
TomatoFresh MarketTomato Pulp / Flakes
Methi (Fenugreek)Fresh Leaves + SeedsDried Leaves / Powder
ChilliGreen & Red PodsDried Crushed Form

The portfolio keeps work and cash flow alive all 12 months.


3.2 Product Characterization / उत्पाद की पहचान

• Core Product: Farm-fresh produce from members.

• Value-Added Product: Aseptic Pulp (Guava & Tomato) and Heat-Pump-Dried Products (Methi & Chilli).

• By-Products: Guava seeds for oil extraction, tomato skins for compost.

Everything is 100 % farm-linked — no outside procurement, no trader blending.

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3.3 Product Innovation / नवाचार की झलक

1. Earlier: Blemished guavas sold at throwaway price or wasted.

2. Today: Those same fruits become aseptic pulp with ₹35–40 / kg recovery.

3. Tomorrow: Ready-to-use guava base for ice-creams and smoothies — directly supplied to small processors in Jaipur.

Innovation here is not high-tech, it’s high-sense — understanding the invisible value in “kachra maal.”

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3.4 Technology / तकनीक

3.4.1 Scientific Basis

Aseptic Processing maintains product at 90–95 °C for 30 seconds, killing microbes while keeping aroma intact.

Heat-Pump Drying uses closed-loop cold-air circulation, saving 50 % energy compared to open sun-drying.

3.4.2 Process Designs

• Sorting → Washing → Crushing → Heating → Filtering → Filling → Sealing.

• Operates in a mobile 40-ft container unit stationed cluster-wise.

• Each batch = 200 kg raw fruit → 140 kg pulp.

3.4.3 Automation Possibilities

Semi-automatic; two operators with digital control panel.

Auto temperature sensors avoid guesswork — “Andaz se Science tak.”

3.4.4 Operational Convenience

Machine runs on single-phase power or diesel gen-set.

Set-up time = 15 minutes; cleaning = 1 hour with CIP system.

Even remote fields can host the machine — “Khet hi factory ban sakta hai.”

3.4.5 Capacity Created & Utilization

• Nominal Capacity: 200 kg/hr of fruit.

• Peak Season Operation: 8 hrs/day × 20 days = 32 MT/month.

• Annual Utilization Target: 60 %.

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3.5 Technology Dynamics / तकनीकी विकास

StageSituationComment
OriginallySun-drying & manual squashingQuality loss > 30 %
NowAseptic & Heat Pump Systems10 × better shelf life
FutureSolar-hybrid energy integrationZero fuel model planned with CSR support

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3.6 Technical Know-How / तकनीकी ज्ञान

• Source: SNL Innovations Pvt Ltd (Jaipur) — certified under Agri Engineering MSME Cluster Program.

• Reliability: Machine already tested for papaya & mango pulp projects in Kota and Dausa.

• Proof of Success: Pilot batch of guava pulp sample passed FSSAI standards and was used by “Nandini Foods” in trial beverage mix.

3.7 Technology and Product Linkages / तकनीक से उत्पाद का नाता

1. Technology Driven Product: Guava pulp quality directly depends on aseptic control.

2. Old Tech New Use: Traditional guava variety now finding place in export-grade pulp.

3. Independent Farmers, Shared Machine: Each member gets slot-wise access without ownership pressure.

4. Data Capture: Each batch has QR code with farmer ID & yield — for traceability.

3.7.6 Technology Scalability & Future Proofing

• Add one more mobile unit after 1 year if utilization > 70 %.

• Integrate solar heating to reduce energy cost by 30 %.

• Training local youth as “Tech Operators – Green Jobs.”

💬 Closing Reflection (अंत की बात)

This is not a machine story; it’s a mind-set story.

Where once farmers waited for traders, now machines wait for farmers.

Each beep of the heat-pump dryer sounds like freedom — “Kheti ab sirf ugaane tak seemit nahi hai, kamane tak pahunch gayi hai.”

Would you like the next section, Part 4 – Market and Customer (बाज़ार और ग्राहक), to continue with the same Sawai Madhopur narrative — tracing how the FPO finds buyers, fixes prices, and builds brand identity for “Amrud Valley”?