Wobil Technologies develops solar-powered rice machines for farmers

Wobil Technologies, a Ghanaian startup founded by students Erica Appiah and John Wobil from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has developed hybrid solar-powered agricultural machines to assist smallholder rice farmers. The technology aims to mitigate post-harvest losses, which research in 2021 indicated could reach up to 46% in parts of Africa due to manual threshing and delays.

The startup’s flagship product is a hybrid solar-powered rice thresher, for which a patent is pending, alongside a solar-powered machine for grain cleaning and separation. These tools are designed to reduce energy costs by more than 70% compared to conventional diesel-powered alternatives.

Since 2021, Wobil Technologies reports having served approximately 900 smallholder farmers and processed 1,000 tonnes of rice. This has contributed to an estimated US$420,000 (4.7 million Ghanaian cedis) in additional revenue for farmers.