Turmeric processing requires slicing of boiled rhizomes into uniform pieces for efficient drying. Traditional slicing with knives is slow, labour-intensive, monotonous and may also lead to injuries, while commercial power-operated slicers are often costly, heavy and less suitable for farmers in hilly areas.
To address these limitations, a lightweight manually operated slicer was developed with both pedal- and hand-operated modes. The machine is portable, does not require electricity and can be operated by either one or two persons. Its simple operation makes it gender-neutral and suitable for use by both male and female users.
Performance evaluation showed that single-person pedal operation achieved about 38 kg/h, compared with 9.5 kg/h using a knife, resulting in approximately four times higher manpower effectiveness. With two-person pedal operation, capacity increased to about 57 kg/h. The machine also produces slices of relatively uniform thickness, which supports more uniform drying.
The developed machine can be used for turmeric, ginger, beetroot, potato, etc. Overall, the machine offers a portable, electricity-free and farmer-friendly solution for reducing drudgery and improving small-scale processing efficiency in hilly regions.
(Source: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya)
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