the machine. Photo: Mathrubhumi
Thrissur: Shaiju had no idea that the machine that he made to make his work easier would turn out to be a great invention. This 42-year-old Mukkattukara native developed a machine to remove stalks from chillies and this invention raised him to the level of a researcher who is acknowledged by the state. Long story short, that is how he won the second position in the Rural Innovation Award organised by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE).
Shaiju has been running a small business selling packaged crushed chillies.
Earlier, he used to seek the help of the women in his neighbourhood for removing the stalk of the chillies. When the demand for his product increased, manually removing the stalks proved to be very cumbersome. Shaiju, with no technical background, learned whatever was necessary to make the machine for destemming chillies. He made many machines, but most of them did not work out.
Necessity is indeed the mother of invention
Once, when he was removing the stalks from chillies at his house, a chilli landed on the plastic chair that was nearby. It was at that very moment the idea for the machine clicked in Shaiju’s mind. He developed the machine by 2019 after spending almost Rs 2 lakhs for its construction. Stalks of 60 kgs of chillies can be removed within an hour. The machine can run for 12 hours straight.
Shaiju said that many companies have approached him for removing stalks from chillies.
The Department of Industries has provided a room for Shaiju in the Mini Industrial Area in Vallachira. KSCSTE will help Shaiju to earn the patent for his invention.
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