Dates Drying Techniques

Abstract

Dates of Phoenix dactlifera were dried in a specially designed chamber made of polyethylene carbonate sheets. Experiments have demonstrated that the use of "polyethylene carbonate" chambers have shorthand the drying period by 4-8 days as well as improving the quality of the dried dates. By the end of the process it was observed that the value of pH conform to the acceptable values. After obtaining encouraging results in the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates; the process was adopted and 70 chambers have been distributed to farmers in the Sultanate of Oman and 100 to farmers in the UAE. Units have also been implemented at research stations in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where they are prepared for dissemination to the farmers in the rest of the GCC under the framework of “Development of Sustainable Date Palm Production Systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries Project”.