Pineapple drying systems in Togo
What the crop demands, what the country imposes, and what that means for capacity.
Togolese pineapple is grown in the Maritime region close to Lomé and shares the sugarloaf variety and much of the market position of neighbouring Benin. Proximity to the port is unusually tight here — growing areas are within an hour or two of the quay — which makes both fresh and dried export routes practical from the same fruit.
The situation in Togo
Lomé is the only natural deep-water port on this stretch of coast and the country has built an export economy around it. Togo has also become the region’s organic soy specialist, with a certified chain that reaches European feed and food buyers directly — a genuinely unusual position for a country of eight million, and one that depends entirely on documented moisture control.
Growing regions. the Maritime and Plateaux regions in the south, Centrale and Kara further north
What pineapple drying demands
Pineapple combines very high moisture with high sugar and high acidity, which makes the cycle long and energy-hungry and the browning risk constant. It also produces one of the best dried products in the tropics when it is done properly, with a European market that pays accordingly.
Harvest calendar
Year-round with a peak from November to February. Continuous supply, which is what makes the chamber utilisation work.
The working campaign window as the trade runs it. It shifts a fortnight either way with the rains.
Process parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Drying temperature | 60–68 °C |
| Final moisture | 12–15 % |
| Yield (fresh : dried) | 10 : 1 |
| Cycle time | 18–24 h |
Sizing starting points from ordinary processing practice, not a validated recipe for your product. Confirm against your own intake and your buyer’s specification.
Worked sizing example
For a unit taking 6 tonnes of fresh product a day, at a yield of 10 : 1:
Illustrative figures calculated from the yield and campaign window above. They size a conversation; they do not describe any existing installation.
Fuel available in Togo
Togo’s organic soy sector generates a growing volume of husk, consistent and easy to feed. Cashew shell in the Centrale region.
- Base load. Soybean husk · Cashew shell · Palm kernel shell
- Supplement. Shea cake and shell · Cotton stalk · Corn cob
See all 27 fuels and their properties
Market and buyer requirements
Europe for dried fruit and juice, plus regional demand. The short haul to Lomé keeps both fresh and processed routes open, so a processor can take what the fresh grade rejects.
Explore further
The systems that hold this profile
Other crops in Togo
Soybean · Raw cashew nut · Shea · Maize
Pineapple drying elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
Does proximity to Lomé help a drying operation?
It does something subtler than reduce freight: it keeps both routes open. Growing areas within an hour or two of the quay mean fresh export takes the best fruit and the drying line takes the grade-outs at 10 : 1, rather than the two competing for the same crop.
How long is a pineapple cycle?
18 to 24 hours at 60–68 °C, down to 12–15 % moisture at about 10 : 1. It is the longest tropical-fruit cycle on this site, because pineapple combines very high initial moisture with high sugar and high acidity — which is also why heat recovery pays back faster here than on other fruit.
Is 6 t/day enough to be worthwhile?
Yes, given year-round supply. It produces about 600 kg of dried pineapple daily at 10 : 1, and with a November-to-February peak and production in between the line runs most of the year rather than for a single season — which is what carries the capital cost.
Size a unit in Togo
Tell us your daily fresh volume and target output, and we will size the chambers, the burner and the fuel available around your site.
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