Development of a Shea Nut Sheller for Rural Communities of Northern Ghana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V1E3/2025-02Keywords:
Conventional, manual, Ghana, smallholder, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1&5Abstract
Conventional manual deshelling techniques are tedious and inefficient, frequently causing kernel damage that diminishes their market value. This research involves the development, construction, and assessment of an enhanced shea nut shelling machine designed to meet the needs of rural areas in northern Ghana and empower women in economic activity. The 35 kg machine consumes only 0.214 liters of fuel to process 1.672 kg of shea nuts and functions without electricity, making it ideal for use inremote communities inaccessible by the national grid. Performance evaluation indicates a 77.03% shelling efficiency, 52.39% shea yield, 1.672 kg processing capacity, and a processing time of 10.99 seconds. These results demonstrate a substantial improvement over manual methods, enabling smallholder women involved in shea nut processing to significantly reduce labour costs. Statistical analysis shows high accuracy (1.14% margin of error) and moderate variability (1.3% coefficient of variation), while structural analysis confirms the durability and stability of the components under working conditions. Overall, the machine effectively addresses key challenges in existing shelling methods by enhancing efficiency and reducing manual effort. Nevertheless, the observed 28% core breakage rate suggests the need for further design optimization. Enhancements such as incorporating shock-absorbing materials or adjusting rotational speed could help reduce kernel damage while maintaining high shelling and cleaning efficiency. Its adoptionfosters the economic empowerment of rural women and advances the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 5.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Enoch L. Asuako (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
