Island Fruit, Fish By-Product and Solar Drying Plants for Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde is an island country in the mid-Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa, with ports at Praia on Santiago and at Mindelo on São Vicente. The islands are volcanic, rainfall is irregular and some islands are very dry, so farming makes use of places such as interior valleys, where growth is denser. Bananas, other fruits, vegetables and livestock products are among the agricultural products, and fish and fish products are part of the economy. Sunny days are the norm throughout the year.

These conditions shape which plants make sense. Fruit can be pulped and pressed for juice, concentrated, or sliced and dehydrated, which saves volume and weight where shipping between islands is a cost. Fish processing leaves trimmings and heads from which oil and meal can be recovered. Milk from livestock can be concentrated or spray dried into powder. Sunny conditions suit solar-assisted drying, which can save fuel in a country that imports petroleum.

Producer groups, small food and beverage companies, fish processors and exporters of dried or concentrated products are the likely users. The key planning questions are water consumption, shipping between islands and whether one multi-purpose plant can serve several crops.