The FAO technology was first introduced in Africa, where 12 countries have now adopted it.
New smoking ovens pioneered by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) under an EU funded programme are getting introduced in Asia now.
Since 2008 FAO has worked on developing the FTT-Thiaroye, an improved fish smoking and drying oven technology. The oven can be purpose-built, or the smoke-capturing chimney, oil-catching trays and other elements can be added to an existing oven.
It is designed to improve fuel-efficiency in fish-smoking by encapsulating heat and smoke. It also addresses health hazards suffered by small-scale fish dryers.
The FAO technology was first introduced in Africa, where 12 countries have now adopted it. Women using old methods of fish-smoking over an open fire often suffer eye and skin irritations and respiratory disease from the smoke.
African women who have adopted the new method have improved their health, significantly increased their income, reduced their costs, cut down on losses, improved the quality and safety of their smoked fish, and were able to improve their family’s food security and nutrition.
In June this year, FAO with the European Union Support to District Development Programme (EU-SDDP) has introduced the new smoking technology to Asia for the first time, starting with Sri Lanka where fish is a major source of livelihoods and nutrition.
An additional eight ovens are in the process of being constructed under the EU-SDDP project in Sri Lanka.
