The Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) has purchased and installed a state-of-the-art, industrial-grade multi-fruit extractor for processing and pulping of fruits for local juicing companies and for sale on the export markets.
Operations Manager Bristol Lawrence said in an interview that the multi-fruit extractor, which is housed at the Multi-Purpose Packhouse in Goodwill, will process fruit faster. He was talking about passionfruit in particular, one of the leading export added value commodities shipping to Guadeloupe.
“So far we have shipped in excess of 1000 pails of passionfruit, each weighing 40 pounds-pails with seeds and without,” he said. “The ones with seeds are being sold at $265 and those without seeds are being sold for $300 per 40-pound pail.”
He continued: “It saves on labor cost and time because it will only take us about three minutes to pulp a pail of passionfruit [as] opposed to doing it by hand.”
That is why, Lawrence is encouraging farmers to continue planting passionfruit. He said DEXIA is also willing to purchase pink guavas from farmers since the regional market has been requesting it.
Source: dominicanewsonline.com