The Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) has developed various techniques for ripening and drying of dates at commercial and industrial scales.
These processes involve conversion of raw dates (Khajji) into ripe and dried (Chuhara) in a short time and in hygienic environment.
According to PCSIR here on Wednesday, in one process, using electric dehydrator the time for conversion of raw dates to ripe and dried Chuhara has been reduced to 8 -12 hours.
The other process is designed for use in the areas where electricity is not available. By using solar dehydrator, in this process, the conversion completes in two to three days.
At present, using conventional means, the dates are dried in 6 to 8 days, all the time with the apprehension of encountering insects, moulds and natural disasters like rain, storms, environmental pollution etc.
During the last two years, a team of Council scientists surveyed the districts of Khairpur and Sukkur and determined the problems faced by date farmers and the industry.
Based on the survey, a report was prepared and presented to the government of Sindh which was appreciated by it.
The report says that the moisture content, enzymes, pectin, fibre, carbohydrates, proteins and other acidic components present in dates play important role in the process of ripening. Presently, the processes commonly used for drying of dates make the fruit prone to infestation by insects and moulds. This leads to deterioration of nutrition, colour and quality of dates resulting in lowering the market price.
It is hoped that utilisation of the processes developed by the Council will not only result in saving of time to the tune of 90 percent, but also the steps involved in drying of dates would be completed in a healthy environment.