The Department of Agriculture’s Cagayan Valley office introduced Zero Energy Cooling Chamber (ZEC-C), an innovative solution to the persistent problem of vegetable spoilage that extends the shelf life of freshly harvested vegetables, particularly tomatoes and eggplants.
ZEC-C provides a sustainable, cost-effective and energy-efficient storage system that preserves freshness, reduces waste and improves farmer profitability.
Developed over two years, ZEC-C was the result of a collaborative effort involving researchers, farmers, cooperatives, and agribusiness partners.
A team led by principal technology author Mary Jane Ibarra of the Cagayan Valley Research Center in Iligan City conducted trials on various walling materials, including coconut coir, charcoal, and a bricks-and-sand mix.
Tests in Aurora and Roxas, Isabela showed that charcoal insulation effectively lowered temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius while maintaining humidity levels of 85 to 90 percent, which is ideal for vegetable storage.
ZEC-C preserved tomatoes for up to 21 days and eggplants for up to five days, maintaining their freshness, firmness, and color. Other vegetables, such as bottle gourd and sponge gourd, remained in excellent condition for up to six days.
A single ZEC-C unit with a 500-kilogram capacity costs about P45,000, with lower costs for larger capacities.
Economic analysis shows a return on investment of at least 71 percent for tomatoes and 32 percent for eggplants over a 5 to 21-day storage cycle.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. lauded the DA-RFO II for the initiative, which aligns with the government’s goal of enhancing food security while increasing farmer incomes.
“This is the kind of creative thinking we need to modernize agriculture, increase farmer profits, reduce waste and improve food security,” he said.