*3.2. Economic Performance Evaluation*

3.2.1. Technical and Financial Analysis of the Drying System

Table 2 presents the financial and technical parameters considered for the operation of the dryer for the case scenario. Based on a drying capacity of 500 kg of maize per batch, it is expected that two batches of drying could be achieved per day. Performance study of the drying system shows that a farmer can dry his maize from an initial moisture content of about 22% (w.b.) to a safe moisture content of 13% (w.b.) within a period of 5 h. This translates to a 720-h operational period of three months from June/July to August/September. This period happens to be the time when over 60% of Ghana's maize produced in the major production season by smallholder farmers along the transition belt of Ghana is harvested. Drying services are critically needed during this period as the harvesting period normally coincides with the onset of rains used for the minor season maize cultivation. Based on the dryer's specified capacity and the drying time, it is estimated that 72 tonnes of maize (554 bags) are expected to be processed within the operational period of three months in a year.


**Table 2.** Technical and financial parameters considered for the business model proposed in the study.

Furthermore, according to MoFA-SRID [13], most smallholder maize farmers in Ghana cultivate an estimated average farmland size of 2 ha at an average yield of 1.5t/ha, correspond to 3 tonnes of maize produced by a farmer in a cropping season. This quantity of maize is projected to be dried within three operation days of the dryer. This means the dryer would be available to other smallholder maize farmers who otherwise will use the unreliable open-sun method for drying their maize. In that regard, about 24 smallholder maize farmers (72 tonnes of maize ÷ (2 ha/smallholderfarmer × 1.5 tonnes of maize/ha)), therefore, could rely on the dryer for their drying services within the operational period used for the case scenario.
