Timothy Munthali, Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing and Solar Drier

Timothy Munthali is the founder of Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing and Solar Drier, which is based at Embangweni trading centre. Timothy is working with 5 farming cooperatives, providing solar drying services in the Embangweni-Qotcha area. Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing and Solar Drier is also a supplier of sunflower oil which is produced by first drying the sunflower seeds in the solar drier and then processing them into edible cooking oil.

By providing solar drying machinery to farmer cooperatives, Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing and Solar Drier helps to reduce post-harvest losses, and to provide standardized cooking oil and animal feed at a good price to the local community. The project supports local markets by increasing the supply of nutritious sunflower seeds.

The enterprise also creates jobs; 8 workers are directly employed and 49 indirect workers benefit on a less regular basis. Additionally, Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing and Solar Drier provides internship opportunities for local youths to learn more about the machinery and the process.