THE ANAGI
TRAY DRYER
Background
The Cashew nut is one of the most popular edible
seeds in the world and can be enjoyed in many forms
(raw, roasted, cooked etc.) Sri Lanka is home to some
of the best varieties of cashew and cashew related
activities are widespread. Cashew does not grow
everywhere, but its processing activities can be done
at any location. The initial processing (drying,
decorticating- or removing outer shell, removing testa -
inner shell) is a done mainly by rural women. In order
to make the removal of the outer shell more efficient,
it is necessary to dry or oven the cashew nuts. In a
traditional system, the “hot cupboards” or the ovens
belong to the middlemen or the “mudalalis”. They
sell the raw cashew to the women who decorticate
them and bring them to the mudalali for ovening.
The hot cupboards need electricity, and a substantial
quantity of cashew for ovening. The placement of the
electric coil causes uneven heating which leads to
irregular drying which causes some wastage in the
drying process. These features make it uneconomical
to micro scale cashew processors*.
Figure 1: The Anagi tray dryer. Photo:
Practical Action South Asia
A group of women who were involved in cashew processing requested Practical Action South Asia to
develop a dryer that was suited for their purposes. The dryer was developed along with the inputs
from these users.
The Anagi Dryer
¼” x ¾” mild steel
flat strip
¾” dia mild steel light duty
hollow tube
This dryer comprises a drying chamber that
includes six trays, a furnace, a heat exchange
system and a lifting mechanism for the trays.
The drying chamber is made out of chipboard or
timber planks (externally) lined with aluminium
sheets both internally and externally. This
arrangement reduces the heat loss and ensures
that there is an even temperature inside the
chamber.
It has a dome-shaped roof enhances the out
flow of moist air.
½” x 2 ½“ „Albeasia‟
timber frame
Figure 2: The tray
mesh
¼” dia mild steel round
bar
¾ “ x ¾ “mild steel light
duty hollow box
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