THE PULSE news – Kigali, June 13, 2022
THE PULSE Rwanda Ltd., a Rwanda based company that will manage a network of rural centers for business, services & leisure at the last mile (“THE PULSE Centers”), with the mission to connect and transform the micro-economies of rural Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) communities, announced today a partnership with NuTrade Global, a India based pioneer and market leader, focused on developing and selling high-quality products that run on solar energy, among others solar powered agricultural machinery.
THE PULSE Centers represent a physical partner platform at the last mile for complementary products and services across the needs of rural African communities, fostering synergies and reducing cost of ownership and cost of operation to boost each of THE PULSE partners’ revenues. In the pilot phase THE PULSE Rwanda Ltd. will establish 5 Centers that provide clean cooking solutions, food distribution & food security, sustainable access to water, retail & wholesale, finance, health, agriculture, leisure & entertainment, and other.
The lack of infrastructure, inefficient drying and inadequate storage are main contributors to post-harvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, which are estimated to be at a value of US $ 4 billion annually, which would be enough to feed over 48 million people for one year. Losses of cereals are estimated at 25% of total crop harvested; for fruits, vegetables and root crops, losses can reach up to 50%. A simple but effective method to reduce post-harvest losses is by drying crops to better preserve them which at the same time avoids the infestation with bugs or mildew due to humidity.
Against this backdrop, we are extremely proud to announce that NuTrade Global and THE PULSE Rwanda LTd. have signed an agreement to install NuTrade’s solar powered dryers in THE PULSE communities to reduce post-harvest losses of the farmers in the communities within the catchment area of the Centers. The systems are dust-, insect- and waterproof for hygienic drying of all types of farm produce so they can be stored safely.
Boris Civieta, Founder and Managing Director of THE PULSE Rwanda Ltd. commented: “The agreement with NuTrade Global is an important component of our holistic and synergetic agricultural approach at THE PULSE Centers. Using state of the art solar powered dryers enables the farmer communities around THE PULSE Centers to increase their incomes by contributing to the food security of the region and the country – this is what THE PULSE stands for.”
Neel Shah, Director of NuTrade Global commented: “Drying is one of the methods used to preserve food products for longer periods. The heat from the sun coupled with the wind has been used to dry food for preservation for several thousand years. Solar thermal technology is a technology that is rapidly gaining acceptance as an energy saving measure in agriculture application. It is preferred to other alternative sources of energy such as wind and shale, because it is abundant, inexhaustible, and non-polluting. Solar air heaters are simple devices to heat air by utilizing solar energy and it is employed in many applications requiring low to moderate temperature below 80°C, such as crop drying and space heating. Drying is the oldest preservation technique of agricultural products and it is an energy intensive process. High prices and shortages of fossil fuels have increased the emphasis on using alternative renewable energy resources. Drying of agricultural products using renewable energy such as solar energy is environmental friendly and has less environmental impact.”
About THE PULSE
THE PULSE is a concept to establish physical partner platforms at the last mile in Sub-Sahara Africa to connect and transform the micro-economies of currently underserved rural BoP communities. In partnership with Solarkiosk Solutions GmbH as the Technical Advisor, THE PULSE Rwanda Ltd. was founded as the first subsidiary of a Pan-African expansion strategy. It aims to operate an initial network of 69 Centers in Rwanda which will host local, national and international partners who offer tailored products, services and innovative solutions in the fields of agriculture, finance, health, leisure and entertainment, retail and wholesale, water, as well as other sectors.
About NuTrade
NuTrade Global and it’s sister company Nu-Solar Infracon are visionary social companies with a vision to serve the society by developing decentralised solar products and applications adapted to BoP communities as well as large corporates. NuTrade Global involved in the various research and development for solar food dryers and other thermal products, while Nu-Solar Infracon is highly active in solar EPC projects be it on grid or off grid applications. It is one of the most reputed and trusted company in the field.