National meeting on the drying of fruits and vegetables
The production of fruits and vegetables in different regions of the country occurs in very short periods, and the surplus produced for this purpose, requires techniques and methods of conservation to allow the citizen a prolonged use of agricultural products.
Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. This preservation technique must guarantee the preservation of the qualitative properties of the product after the drying process.

For the purpose, the Directorate General of Scientific Research and Technological Development organized a National Meeting on the Drying of Fruits and Vegetables gathering Algerian skills in the matter, and this for two days February 17 and 18, 2018 at the Unit of Development of Solar Equipment UDES (Bou Ismail, Tipaza).
In this respect, Pr.Tahar Hadjar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, accompanied by Prof. Hafid Aourag, Director General of Scientific Research at the Ministry of Higher Education and the Wali of Tipaza Mr Moussa Ghellai, local authorities and senior ministry officials, were received by the Director of EPST CDER, Professor N. Yassaa and UDES Director Dr. B. Bouzidi.

In his official opening address for this day, the Minister, Prof. Tahar Hadjar, expressed the need for the sharing and sharing of knowledge and know-how with a view to identifying the different processes and methods of drying water while affirming the importance of building lasting links between farmers and research operators.
For his part, Professor Hafid Aourag explained that the purpose of this meeting is to highlight the results of research in the socio-economic sector, in particular the agricultural sector considered as the engine of sustainable development and source of growth and food security. In his address, Prof. Hafid Aourag, with the aim of leading to the industrialization of research products, emphasized the aspects of certification and approval of these products, which will now have to be taken into account by the research sector.

On the other hand, reflections were carried out in workshops organized on the following topics:
Workshop 1: Census and mapping of dried products, Process and drying methods of fruits and vegetables,
Workshop 2: Technological Aspects.
On the sidelines of this day, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Pr. Tahar Hadjar, visited some research projects conducted within the Unit, such as, the low-energy smart solar home, desalination of seawater and brackish water, the application of photovoltaic equipment and the production of cold by solar thermal energy, the platform for remote monitoring of photovoltaic plants connected to the grid as well as the drying of products and agricultural waste.

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