Local made juice-making machine for sale

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 20, 2010 00:00

The Ministry of Agriculture, through its Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), will soon present the juice-making machine to the public. 

Stephen Chite, a research officer, tells Mmegi that the machine is estimated to be ready for sale beginning of February or March this year. 

He says that at the moment they have only one machine, which is still going through some tests to determine if it can be recommended for commercial production. 

Chite says that the machine can be used to make different juices from watermelons, oranges, peaches, mango and tomatoes.

He says that the electronic juice making machine, does not require a lot of space and can be used with a normal household electricity supply of 230V.   'The machine occupies only 2M X 1M and is easy to use. It can be operated by only one person,' he says.  

Chite advises local farmers to utilise the machine once it is available on the market since it does not require any sophisticated skills.

It is also considered to be affordable to an average Motswana.

'The machine is estimated to cost between P10, 000 and P12, 000.  Maintenance costs are estimated to be very low as it has few moving parts,' he says. 

Chite says that the capacity of the juice-making machine ranges from 200-300 kilograms per hour depending on the type of fruits and feeding rate. 

He says that the machine was made by the Farm Machinery Development Unit of the DAR at Sebele in 2009 to assist farmers in processing perishable fruits.

'The final product will be made of stainless steel to ensure proper hygienic conditions,' he said.