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Hot-air-dried fruits and vegetables (e.g. onions)

Opportunity Description: All sorts of dried vegetables and fruits. This study will use sliced onion as an example. As a further note, the onion business can be combined with garlic due to similarity in odor intensity.
PRODUCT: Dried fruit/vegetable e.g. onion
Sector: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Processing
Market: Local consumers, Export
Initial Investment Required: EGP 990,000
Details Available: Opportunity Study
Market Potential: Traders for local markets.
Higher quality drying of vegetables and fruits for export, grinding and packing.
Supply: Fresh produce - fresh onion in this case
Process: Slicing of onions, hot air drying using steam radiators. Requires chamber dimensions of 3x7x3 - Bricks - lined with stainless steel
Human Resources: Technical and Business Development Manager – 1
Operations and Maintenance – 2
Financial: CAPEX required EGP 468,000
3-month OPEX required EGP 522,000
IRR expected is 61%
Payback period around 2.3 years
Risk: Risk – lack of awareness of farmers to produce high quality harvest that is suitable.
Mitigation - partnership with farmers along with strong awareness for post-harvest to ensure good agricultural practices.
Risk - marketing challenges: attempt to market the product before production
Mitigation - requires strong business development.
IMPACT: Environmental - Decrease waste in produce by providing longer shelf life product.
Social - Increase return on agriculture activities.