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Processing lotion, scrub and lip balm from cocoa, coffee
Naro agronomist from NaCORI explains the process of value addition. Photo by Lominda Afedraru
What you need to know:
- The next thing to do is to roast the coffee and cocoa. At the institute, the scientists have a roaster machine which uses electricity but there are those that use solar energy.
Gone are the days when agricultural scientists were engaged in conducting research to develop improved agricultural commodities at the laboratory and green houses to seed development.
The scientists are now fully engaged in developing the products from the laboratory, to screen houses to field trials and to adding value to get industrial product to the market.
This is one thing which amazed farmers who attended the 16th edition of the Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic at the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Kituuza, Mukono District, as scientists displayed industrial products they processed from coffee and cocoa.
Products
It was interesting to see farmers crowd the display table of scientists from NaCORI filled with body lotion processed from coffee and cocoa. Other products included lip balm, body scrub and processed coffee powder.
“’We are privileged to host the 16th edition of Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic. This is because it has enabled us to show case what we can do right from the lab to product development. We have been empowered to switch our strategy of developing agriculture products and stop at developing improved seed and breeds of other commodities such as fish, poultry and animals but to further process the products into industrial good,” Evans Natwijuka a biochemist based at NaCORI, said.
Lotion processing
According to Natwijuka, once coffee berries and cocoa beans are harvested from the farm, it is taken to the pulping machine for removal of the pulp.
For the case of processing lotion, juice is squeezed from the raw coffee berry and cocoa beans which is the mixed with multi-vitamins and skin protector ingredients to get the required high value lotion.
This can be mixed with processed powder of the two crops to get the right aroma of the lotion.
After mixing, it will automatically become a lotion, which one can begin bottling after a period of five minutes.
For the lip balm, this is also done by mixing bee wax with squeezed liquid from both coffee and cocoa and multi-vitamin ingredients.
Farmers who intend to venture into processing coffee and cocoa lotion are advised to do so after training by scientists.
Processing body scrub
The scientists are also processing body scrub, which is used to cleanse the skin. It is a mixture of coffee and cocoa powder with multi vitamins. The finished product is inform of a cream.
Pricing of the products
Apparently people are capable of accessing the products at the Institute.
This is because the initiative started five months ago and the team is in initial stages of extending their services to supermarkets within Mukono and Kampala.
At the moment the lotion is bottled in 240ml bottles costing Shs7,000, lip balm is packaged in 25gms costing Shs2,000 and the coffee powder is packaged 250gms costing Shs10,000.
Natwijuka and team contend that coffee and cocoa have compounds which are natural and adding value to the product in form of lotion will keep the skin healthy. Besides the raw material is already available with farmers.
Coffee powder
When processing cocoa and coffee powder, it is important to harvest the cherry and beans when they are mature.
Once harvested, the berry and cocoa beans are then dried under sunshine for one week but in case one is using solar drier, it will take three days to dry.
The next step is hurling using the hurler and this makes a selection of clean dry coffee cherry and cocoa bean.
The next thing to do is to roast the coffee and cocoa. At the institute, the scientists have a roaster machine which uses electricity but there are those that use solar energy.
But for farmers who intend to process coffee and cocoa powder, it is important for them to take the beans and cherry to specialised roasters who will be in in position to do it well.
They could as well opt to acquire the roasting machine as a group to save on the costs.
